Harry Potter and the Unexpected Arrival
by sunnysparkles
Summary: ON HIATUS, SORRY. Summary: After Harry's 5th year, he is given an unexpected surprise. He can finally live the life he's always wanted, but is this really what he wanted? LJ alive fic- mostly Harry and James.
1. Back to Grimmauld Place

**Harry Potter and the Unexpected Arrival ...Harry's 6th Year**   
  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, charters, ect. are more likly property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
**Author's note**: I'll try to update as much as possible, but I do type quite slow and have been rather busy lately. I will never abandon the story though unless I absolutly have to. If you review, please be honest if you think my fanfiction is terrible so far. Also, I already have almost 2 notebooks full of writing for this fanfic, I just am getting lazy on typing... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, it's my first fanfiction.  
  
**Chapter 1: Back to Grimmauld Place  
  
** It was a sunny July morning at Number Four, Privet Drive. Harry was awoken by the sound of his uncle screaming, "ENOUGH RUDDY OWLS! ONE MORE PETUNIA AND I'M SENDING THAT BOY OUT OF OUR HOUSE!" Harry was used to his uncle's screaming, but thought it would be much wiser to wait awhile, before going to get some breakfast. He was also quite angry at the moment and didn't want to have a row with his uncle, knowing of course it may cost him his meals that week.   
  
Before he was awoken, Harry was having a wonderful dream, which was a very rare occasion for him as a fifteen year old boy. He dreamt he was playing quittich, not at Hogwarts, but at a house. Harry had no memory of a house like this, but he felt as though he had seen it somewhere or been there before. Across the pitch, Harry saw what looked like his father on a broom, the golden snitch between them. However, before Harry could find out who caught the snitch, he was awoken. Harry was now laying on his bed thinking about the dream, pondering who may have caught the snitch, also thinking about how much he looked like his father, James.   
  
Then a brown barn owl swooped in carrying a piece of parchment. The owl landed on Harry's bed and he pulled the letter off. He opened the letter and noticed it was from Dumbledore. Harry felt a little angry that Dumbledore had not contacted him with any information since before the summer break at Hogwarts. Last year, Harry heard the prophecy made about him and Voldemort and Harry now knew that he had to duel Voldemort during his life and one of them had to die. Harry felt that he should get to hear all the information the Order has, but for some reason no one was telling him just like last year. Maybe this letter would have information; Harry picked up the letter and read:  
  
**_Dear Harry,_**  
  
**_The members of the Order and I are beginning to think your aunt and uncle's house may not be the safest place for you over the summer. We have decided that you would be much safer at Headquarters_**- Harry stopped reading and though about Sirius, and if he, Harry had not been so dumb as to fall for Voldemort's trick, Sirius would still be alive. He defiantly did not want to return to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, the one place full of memories of Sirius. He picked up the letter and continued to read:  
  
**_where they will be wizards to help protect you_**. - _Great,_ Harry thought, _now everyone thinks I'm a little child that needs protection and can't watch out for myself_. He continued to read:  
  
**_A few Order members will be arriving at your home later today to pick you up, so try to be packed by then. I have already notified your aunt and uncle, so they don't worry_**- "Like they would really care I something happened to me, they'd probably be happy" Harry muttered to himself.  
  
**_We may answer a few of your questions when you arrive. We also have a surprise for you, but you will have to wait until you get here to see it. See you soon, Harry.  
_****_Sincerely,  
Professor Dumbledore  
_**  
Harry picked up the letter and re-read it._ I'm defiantly not looking forward to returning to Grimmauld Place_ he thought to himself. But on the plus side he was going to get to ask some questions and Dumbledore said something about a surprise, plus he would be leaving the Dursleys for the summer, which was always a great thing.  
  
Harry looked around his room and noticed everything was already packed and Hedwig was sitting in her cage. Harry pulled on a pair of Dudley's old jeans and a t-shirt and walked downstairs. Harry walked into the kitchen and grabbed a waffle off the plate on the counter; there was no syrup though because Dudley was still on his diet. No one seemed to notice Harry and he was actually quite used to it. He walked back upstairs eating a second waffle, glad that he didn't have to talk to the Dursleys.  
  
Around five, Harry heard his uncle yelling, "Potter! Get down here right now!"  
  
"Oh great, now what did I do?" Harry muttered to himself as he walked down the stairs.  
  
His uncle was in the living room and motioned for Harry to come into the kitchen. His uncle spoke first, quickly and quietly.  
  
"When will those… those Freaks be getting here?"  
  
Harry was about to argue that wizards are not freaks, but noticed his uncle was already in a bad mood and just replied, "I'm not sure, all they told me is that they are coming today."  
  
Harry could tell his uncles face was getting more purple than before.  
  
"Well, will they be arriving the _normal _way?"  
  
Harry thought about this first and decided his uncle meant the normal way for muggles- cars.  
  
"I don't know." replied Harry honestly, although he figured they would not be taking cars.  
  
Harry looked up at his uncle and could tell he was getting ever angrier.  
  
"Very well, you can go!" said his uncle trying to remain calm.  
  
Harry turned around to go when suddenly he heard a loud "Crack!" Then, he heard his aunt drop a plate with a loud "Crash!" and more cracking. Harry turned around and saw Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and to his surprise, Fred and George Weasley. Harry remained silent, quite unsure of what to say. In the other room he heard his uncle shouting, "Why can't they just come the normal way?" Harry laughed quietly and turned around to face the members of the Order.   
  
"Er- hi," said Harry.  
  
"He's alive!" replied Lupin.  
  
Everyone including Harry laughed.  
  
"How do we know this is really him?" asked Moody.  
  
"Well, it looks like him to me!" screamed Tonks.  
  
"Yes, but someone could be using a Polyjuice Potion," said Moody.  
  
Moody started muttering to himself about what happened in Harry's fourth year.  
  
"You're right," said Arthur Weasley "we don't want someone else to find Headquarters if this isn't Harry."  
  
"Well, how do we find out?" asked Kingsley.  
  
"We could ask him something only him and the Order would know." suggested Fred and George in unison.  
  
"Okay, a question only Harry and the Order would know. Umm…" started Lupin. "I know! Okay Harry, what are the names and animagi of the four marauders?"  
  
Lupin could tell by the look on Harry's face that he was uncomfortable answering this question and regretted asking it.  
  
"Well, that's not a very good question. I'll pick a new one." said Lupin.  
  
"No," said Harry "I'll answer the Marauder question."  
  
Harry regretted saying this, but knew he'd have to think of Sirius anyway when he arrived at Grimmauld Place later, and he didn't want the Order he wasn't mature enough to handle Sirius death. All the Order members present looked worried, probably that Harry would get angry and start yelling at he usually did, especially now with so many memories of Sirius.  
  
"Okay," said Harry nervously "there was you, Remus Lupin and you animagi is a werewolf during full moons." To Harry's delight, no one seemed to think Lupin being a werewolf was odd. "Also," continued Harry "the marauders called you Moony."  
  
"Then," Harry said "there is Peter Pettigrew, who the marauders called Wormtail and his animagi is a rat." Harry thought about Wormtail joining sides with Voldemort, how he sold Harry's parents to him and helped kill Sirius by giving Voldemort some information. This angered Harry, but he decided to cool down. He looked around and saw the Order looking very frightened, probably because they knew Harry would not want to discuss the next two marauders- his dad and Sirius.  
  
Harry continued, "The third marauder was-was m-my dad, James Potter. The marauders called him Prongs, because of his stag animagi."   
  
Harry was beginning to look upset now. The Order took notice and prepared themselves for Harry's reaction to saying Sirius as a marauder. They considered saying his answer was enough, but thought he should get a chance to answer hoping that it may make him feel better about Sirius' death.  
  
"T-the l-l-last m-maurader w-was S-S-S-Sir--- I CAN'T DO THIS!" Harry shouted as he ran upstairs with tears flowing down his face. He ran into his room slamming the door shut and locking it.  
  
The Order members looked around at each other frightened and confused  
  
"I'm really sorry!" said Lupin. "I should have known better than to bring up a question about Sirius."  
  
"It's okay Remus," said Arthur. "I'm sure you just thought Harry would be ready to answer it."  
  
"Should we go up there and talk to him?" asked Tonks.  
  
"No, not yet," said Arthur. "he needs a chance to cool down first."  
  
"Shall I see an owl to Dumbledore and the rest or the Order?" asked Mad-Eye. "We are obviously going to be late."  
  
"Yes, that would be a great idea." said Kingsley.  
  
"Yes, and tell him Harry is upset about Sirius, so he doesn't bring it up like me" said Lupin sadly.  
  
"Once again, Remus, it's NOT your fault!" said Kingsley.  
  
Moody left the room and came back ten minutes later.  
  
"I sent the owl." said Moody.  
  
"Great, thanks." said the rest of the Order.  
  
"Did he cool off yet?" asked Moody.  
  
"I'm not sure, but he's still up there." said Arthur and Kingsley.  
  
"I think he may be cooled off a bit though." said Tonks.  
  
"Shall we go talk to him now then?" asked Moody.  
  
"I don't think we should all go." said Tonks.  
  
"I'll go!" said Remus. "I knew his father and Sirius best, so I may be the most comforting to him."  
  
"Okay, good luck!" said the Order members.  
  
Lupin walked up the stairs and stopped when he heard crying coming from Harry's room. Harry was screaming to himself.  
  
"It all my fault Sirius died!" -sniff- "Why was I stupid enough to fall for his trick?" -sniff- "I should have listened to Hermione!" -sniff- "THIS IS SO UNFAIR!" Harry yelled, "EVERYONE I LOVE DIES!"   
  
"I hate my life!" Harry sobbed, "Why can't I be one of the people with normal lives?"  
  
"I HATE BEING THE BOY-WHO-LIVED!" Harry screamed. "Crash!"  
  
Lupin assumed Harry had just broken something. He walked over to Harry's door and knocked.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Harry angrily.  
  
"Remus" said Lupin.  
  
"What do you want now?" Harry asked.  
  
"To have a word with you" responded Lupin.  
  
"Go away!" roared Harry.  
  
"I heard you yelling." said Lupin calmly.  
  
"Good for you," said Harry trying to remain calm. "but I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Look, Harry, are you going to open this door or not? Because I could easily open it myself, but I'd prefer it if you would open it."  
  
"I don't feel like opening it right now." said Harry.  
  
"Very well, you leave me no choice Harry," said Lupin. "_alohomora!_"  
  
There was a "click" and Lupin opened to door and walked in. Harry was sitting on his bed staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Harry? asked Lupin kindly.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure!" said Harry a little to quickly.  
  
"Well, I won't force you to talk about it," said Lupin "We'll all be downstairs waiting if you need us."  
  
Harry watched Lupin walk out the door, and he got up to lock the door again. Lupin arrived downstairs where the Order was waiting.   
  
"He won't talk about it," said Lupin. "and he still thinks Sirius' death is his fault."  
  
"Oh no! This is bad!" exclaimed Tonks.  
  
"Yes, it is, Tonks. Perhaps Dumbledore should speak with him." said Kingsley.  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure Dumbledore is really busy." said Moody.  
  
"I'm sure Dumbledore would spare time for Harry," said Arthur. "they both respect each other and he is probably the only one Harry will speak to right now."  
  
"What about 'The Surprise'?" asked Fred Weasley.  
  
"Well, we can't be certain of his reaction to the surprise, so it's best if he is calmed down when he sees it," said Tonks "Plus he may not trust them yet."  
  
"You're right, Tonks." said Arthur.  
  
"I'll send Dumbledore another owl." said Moody.  
  
"Good thinking, Alastor." said Tonks.  
  
Twenty minutes later they heard a 'Pop!' and Dumbledore appeared.  
  
"Thanks you for coming Professor Dumbledore." they all said.  
  
"Ah, it is my pleasure," said Dumbledore. "Where is Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Upstairs in his room, sir," said Lupin. "but I warn you he is very angry and upset right now."   
  
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "He was last time I spoke with him also."  
  
Dumbledore walked up the steps and down the hall. He stopped and knocked on Harry's door.  
  
"May I come in?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"No, go away!" said Harry.  
  
"You're going to have to talk about it sometime, Harry." said Dumbledore calmly.  
  
"No, I won't!" yelled Harry angrily.  
  
"Do you plan on opening this door and letting me in?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"No," said Harry simply.  
  
"Very well, have it your way," said Dumbledore. "_alohomora!_"  
  
The door opened and Dumbledore walked it.  
  
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO--- Oh, sorry professor! I thought you were someone else!" said Harry embarrassed.  
  
"That's alright, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I understand that we all make mistakes."  
  
"I bet you do, I've made enough of them." Harry muttered to himself.  
  
Dumbledore walked across the room and sat on the bed next to Harry.  
  
"Would you like to explain that last statement to me, Harry?" asked Dumbledore softly.  
  
Harry remained silent looking at the ceiling.  
  
"Well, if you don't want to tell me, I could always go into your mind and find out myself, but I'd prefer to hear it from you," said Dumbledore. "as I understand it, you did not master Occulemency.   
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore with an expression of guilt. Dumbledore noticed this and said, "Don't blame yourself for the Occulemency, Harry. I should have taught you myself you know."  
  
Harry remained silent and stared at a broken cup on the floor.  
  
"Please, Harry," said Dumbledore, "I do not wish to have to resort to going into your mind and I know you don't want me to."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
  
"I'm going to guess this has something to do with Sirius, Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded, tears going down his cheeks.  
  
"Well, we're making some progress!" said Dumbledore cheerfully. "Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
Harry shook his head, still crying.  
  
"May I ask why not?" said Dumbledore.  
  
There was silence for a few seconds, then Harry screamed, "BECAUSE I KILLED HIM! YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT IT IS ALL MY FAULT!"  
  
"Well, we are making progress and I see you have decided to speak to me," said Dumbledore cheerfully, "but do you really still believe that Sirius' death was your fault?"  
  
Harry nodded his head.  
  
"I thought we cleared this up last year in my office, that Sirius' death is not your fault." Dumbledore reminded Harry.  
  
"No," said Harry trying to remain calm. "We cleared up that I would have to duel Voldemort soon and you_ insisted_ that Sirius' death was your fault, not mine."  
  
"But it was my fault!" said Dumbledore, "I tried to keep him safe when he wanted to fight and help out."  
  
"No," said Harry. "It's my fault, because I fell for Voldemort's trick even though Hermione warned me it was probably a trick, and Sirius died trying to save ME, not YOU!"  
  
"True," said Dumbledore "but if I had let him duel and help the Order, he may have stayed put while the others went to help you."  
  
Harry remained silent, he didn't know what to say.  
  
"Are you ready to go back downstairs now, Harry?" Dumbledore asked kindly.  
  
Harry nodded, and they both walked downstairs to where the Order members were.  
  
"Thank you, professor Dumbledore!" said Lupin "I'm sorry about the question, Harry, I wasn't thinking."  
  
"That's okay, I'd like to finish answering the question now if you don't mind," said Harry. "The fourth marauder was Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot, because of his large, black dog animagi."  
  
Dumbledore and the rest of the Order smiled, glad Harry was in a much better mood.  
  
"Oh my!" said Dumbledore. "I must get going now, but I'll see you all later at Headquarters."  
  
Dumbledore disapparated with a loud 'crack!'  
  
"How are we going to get there?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"We are going to use a portkey." Arthur replied.  
  
"I'll get your trunk, Harry." said Tonks.  
  
Tonks tripped over a step and said, "Fred, George, would you please get Harry's trunk?"  
  
Fred and George disapparated with a loud 'crack!'.  
  
"I should have known they would not walk." said Arthur with a laugh.  
  
Fred and George reappeared with Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage a minute later.  
  
"Do we have everything?" asked Moody.  
  
"Yes," said Kingsley, "so on the count on three, everyone touch this cake pan. 1... 2... 3!"  
  
Everything was swirling around, Harry closed his eyes and when he opened them he was in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. They all walked in, and Harry was greeted by Mrs. Weasley with a tight hug. Harry blushed of embarrassment.   
  
"What took you so long?" she asked. "Well, it's not important anyway, you're here now. Dinner will be ready shortly. Fred, George, could you please show Harry to his room?"  
  
"Sure, mum!" said Fred and George in unison.  
  
Fred grabbed Harry's trunk and George grabbed Hedwig's cage.  
  
"It's the same room you had last summer." said Fred.  
  
"We figured you wouldn't want to get all mixed up switching rooms anyway." said George.  
  
"So, did you two join the Order now?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yup!" said Fred.  
  
"But mum wasn't too happy…" said George.  
  
"Said we were too young-" said Fred.  
  
"But we're adults now-" said George.  
  
"So we didn't need her permission to join." said Fred.  
  
"Dumbledore promised her we wouldn't do any big or dangerous jobs though, and we need time to run our joke shop anyway." said George.  
  
"Okay, this is your room." said Fred.  
  
They opened the door and walked in. Harry was unsurprised to see Ron and Hermione sitting on the bed. Fred set down Harry's trunk and George set Hedwig down, then they disapparated.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione screamed and ran to Harry giving him a bone crushing hug.  
  
"Hello Hermione, hey Ron," said Harry.  
  
"Hey Harry, great to see you, mate." said Ron.  
  
"What have you two been doing this summer?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I just got here today, but I read a few books over the summer." said Hermione sighing.  
  
"I helped with cleaning this house." Ron told Harry.  
  
"Sounds as fun as my summer." Harry joked.  
  
There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Weasley walked in, "It's time for dinner, dears."  
  
"Okay, thanks mum," said Ron and they followed her downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
"Now, you three, try to be on your best behavior tonight, Professor Dumbledore is eating with us." said Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"We will try!" said Ron, Harry and Hermione in unison.  
  
Harry sat at the end of the table, across from Ron and beside Hermione. He looked up and noticed half of the table was staring at him, then he quickly turned away. They probably heard about what happened at Privet Drive and wanted to talk to him about it. Remus Lupin was sitting next to Ron and Fred and George were next to Remus, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Tonks, 'Mad-Eye' Moody and Professor Dumbledore were all dining at the Order Headquarters that night. Mrs. Weasley brought out four pitchers of butterbeer and set them on the table, then three giant roast chickens, mashed potatoes, buttered rolls, green beans, applesauce and pumpkin pie.  
  
"This looks great, Molly." replied Tonks and Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, very delicious, honey." said Arthur.  
  
"Thank-you," said Mrs. Weasley blushing.  
  
Molly started putting food on her plate and everyone else followed. The adults were deep in conversation about the Order and the Ministry. Harry sat silently staring at his food. He remembered sharing meals with the Order when Sirius was there. Harry missed Sirius' jokes and sarcasm at the table. Harry heard his name and looked up, pretending not to hear. Mr. Weasley was whispering to Dumbledore.  
  
"Do you think we should tell him?" Arthur was pointing to Harry.  
  
"No, not yet. I don't think he's ready for it yet." replied Dumbledore quietly.  
  
Harry stared back at his plate thinking, _what am I not ready for yet? Haven't I already proven myself against Voldemort many times and completed many tasks no one else my age has done?! I'm ready for whatever they are talking about!_ Harry was getting angry with Dumbledore about this.   
  
Harry heard Mrs. Weasley's voice and look up, "Harry, dear, it there a problem with the food?"  
  
Harry looked around and noticed everyone else was almost finished with their food and his plate was full.   
  
"What? …Oh, no, it's wonderful, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry "I'm just not as hungry as I thought I guess."  
  
"Harry, are you feeling okay?" whispered Lupin.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Harry lied "but thanks for asking."  
  
Everyone at the table looked up and started staring at Harry. Harry looked back down at his plate.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright, Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley.  
  
"Yes," Harry lied while pretending to eat his mashed potatoes.  
  
"Harry, can I see you in the hallway?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
_Oh great!_ Harry thought _he knows I'm lying and now he wants me to 'talk about it' How does he always know?_ Harry got up and followed Dumbledore into the hallway.  
  
"Harry, it appears to me that you are lying to us in the kitchen and you are not fine." Dumbledore said, "Am I correct?"  
  
"I'm fine…" Harry lied, staring down at the floor.  
  
Dumbledore put his hand under Harry's chin and forced Harry to make eye contact with him. Harry's emerald green eyes were not shining, they showed sadness as they locked with Dumbledore's bright blue eyes. Harry's eyes always told his feelings, just like his mother's did.  
  
"Are you fine?" Dumbledore asked him.  
  
Harry tried to look away, but Dumbledore stopped him. "Can you honestly look me in the eyes and say you are fine?"  
  
Harry didn't answer, his eyes just filled with sadness as he looked into Dumbledore's eyes.   
  
"Harry, your eyes don't lie, they show you are upset. Is it Sirius?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
Harry yanked away from Dumbledore as hard as he could and stared at Dumbledore, his eyes were full of fury.  
  
"Do we have to discuss this?" Harry asked coldly.  
  
"Yes, I think we need to," said Dumbledore, "unless, of course, you'd rather be depressed about it your whole life."  
  
"Well, I'll be going now then." said Harry.  
  
"Hold on, Harry." said Dumbledore, "I'm not done speaking with you."  
  
"I thought we concluded already that I'm not going to discuss Sirius with you." said Harry.  
  
"Ah, so it is Sirius that is bothering you," said Dumbledore, "and no, you aren't just going to walk away from your problems like this. It is obvious that we need to discuss this tonight."  
  
"Well, we aren't gonna get anywhere, especially in this house." Harry muttered looking around the hallway.  
  
"Too late, Harry. We are getting somewhere. So you are upset about being in this house because it brings you too many memories of Sirius?" Dumbledore said, "Am I correct?"  
  
Harry just stared down at the floor.  
  
"I'll take that as a 'yes'" said Dumbledore. "I understand-" _no you don't_ Harry thought. "-I wouldn't want to be here either if I were you after my godfather just died. Would you like to discuss this somewhere else?"  
  
"No, it does not matter where we go, because I'm not going to discuss this." said Harry.  
  
Harry turned around and walked towards his room. Dumbledore followed him.  
  
"I thought we concluded I was not going to discuss it!" Harry roared.  
  
"No, Harry. You concluded that. I concluded that I'm not just going to let you walk away and take this the easy way."  
  
Harry walked into his bedroom and locked the door.  
  
Dumbledore laughed, "Ah, Harry. One would think that by now you have realized that locking doors is useless around wizards."  
  
Dumbledore waited a moment and sighed, "_Alohamora!_"   
  
The door clicked and Dumbledore walked in.  
  
"Can't you take a hint, Professor? I don't wanna take about it right now! Please leave me alone!" Harry shouted.  
  
"I think you do want to discuss it, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "would you like to discuss it here, in the hallway or in the kitchen with the rest of the Order?"  
  
_How about nowhere_, Harry thought.  
  
"Here is fine, Professor." Mumbled Harry sadly.  
  
"Where shall we start then?" asked Dumbledore "We have already concluded that you are upset because you miss Sirius and are uncomfortable being in his old house. Am I correct?"  
  
"Yes," muttered Harry.  
  
"Well, is there anything else you'd like to share with me?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
_Well, let's see, I wouldn't like to share anything with you, so no, but you won't leave until I say something_. thought Harry.  
  
"I don't really have much of a choice," said Harry glumly, "you aren't going to leave me alone until I tell you."  
  
"That's true," said Dumbledore, "Just tell me whatever is on your mind if your more comfortable with that. I'm willing to wait and listen to you for as long as you need me too."  
  
"Well, I'll just tell you everything on my mind then. Just promise not to get offended if I let out any rude comments." Harry said.  
  
"Okay, I'll try not too." Dumbledore laughed, "now, please, Harry. Tell me what is on your mind."  
  
"Well, for a start, I'm tired-" started Harry.  
  
"That's understandable, it is getting quite late." Dumbledore pointed out.  
  
"Also, I'm angry that you won't leave me alone…" Dumbledore laughed.  
  
"Another thing, my uncle's screaming this morning disturbed a really good dream I have having this morning where I was playing quittich against my father and now I'll never know who got the golden snitch-"  
  
"Ah, I remember James playing quittich. He was no doubt as good as you are-" Harry smiled for the first time that night. "but he wasted his time nicking the snitch all the time. I think he thought no one noticed, but I assure you I knew he took it." Dumbledore laughed, "Anyway, back on topic. Please continue, Harry."  
  
"Err- yeah," said Harry, "I also feel like everyone thinks I'm incapable of handling things myself and looking out for myself-"  
  
"We figured you might think that, Harry." said Dumbledore. "We know you are capable of handling yourself though, but you have to understand that we are trying to keep you safe and away from having to look after yourself all the time."  
  
"I don't like being overprotected…" Harry muttered.  
  
"Oh, so you have noticed that…" said "Dumbledore. "We didn't think you would. Very well, I'll speak with the rest of the Order about giving you more freedom."  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, "Also, no offense or anything… but… your bright blue eyes and calmness are scary sometimes and can be a little disturbing… I mean, last year when I was in your office, I broke your stuff and was demolishing your office and you didn't yell at me or get angry at all." Dumbledore laughed and Harry joined in too.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to say I cannot change my eyes for you, Harry," said Dumbledore still laughing, "but if you really want me to quit being calm and start being angry I'll try."  
  
Harry and Dumbledore both laughed hard.  
  
"Err- no, that's okay professor," said Harry. "I'd hate to see how angry and how much you'd yell at me if you weren't so calm about things."  
  
"Harry, I don't get angry with you!" Dumbledore said shocked. "I understand that you usually have a good reason for it when you argue, especially with me. From what I've heard, you seem to respect me a lot as I respect you."  
  
Harry remained silent not knowing how to respond to that.  
  
"Well, you may continue with what's on your mind, Harry." said Dumbledore.  
  
"Right… umm… well, I think Professor Snape hates me." said Harry.  
  
Dumbledore gave a small laugh.  
  
"Well, I'm not going to take sides when it comes to teachers," said Dumbledore. "but if Professor Snape hates you, it may just be because you looks remarkably like James, and Professor Snape and your father hated each other."  
  
"Yes, that's true." said Harry. "I'm going to assume you are waiting to hear what's on my mind about Sirius now, because I'm running out of other issues and you have not left yet."  
  
Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, you are correct. You are as bright as your friend Hermione," said Dumbledore smiling, "go on, please."  
  
"Well, I- err- still feel like Sirius' death is my fault…" Harry mumbled.  
  
"Oh… I should have known you would not be over that yet. You always seemed to want to take responsibility for things," said Dumbledore sadly. "but I assure you, Sirius' death is not your fault. It is Bellatix Lestrange's if anyone's completely, see her spell knocked him into the Veil. Also, it is my fault for not telling you the prophecy sooner. You have always been a curious boy, probably one of the most curious students I have ever had. You have curious about the Sorcerer's Stone, the Mirror of Erised, the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, you also have a habit of looking in other peoples pensives if I might add. Need I go on?" Dumbledore laughed.  
  
"I'm really sorry about that, Professor! I didn't mean-" Harry started.  
  
"I understand Harry. You don't need to apologize, curiosity is not a sin. As I said, you are a very curious person, and I myself probably would have done the same if I were you. Anyway, as I was saying, I knew since your first year at Hogwarts you were a very curious boy. I should have known the black doors in you dreams would make you want to go there, to see what was inside them. I thought Occulemency would work-"  
  
"I didn't practice it though." mumbled Harry.  
  
"Yes, I understand that," continued Dumbledore. "but that is not your fault. I should not have arranged your lessons with Professor Snape. It is obvious that you two envy each other, so I doubt you could practice emptying your emotion with the professor you hate most near you. Also, another mistake I made was forgetting your curiosity. I'm sure you wanted to see what was behind those black doors before you closed you mind to Voldemort."  
  
Dumbledore looked up and saw Harry had a very guilty expression on his face.  
  
"But that is not your fault," Dumbledore continued. "I should have told you about the prophecy at that moment, so you would no longer care about what was behind those doors. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that you did NOT kill Sirius, it was more my fault for being too overprotective of you and not wanting to tell you the truth about why Voldemort had tried to kill you as a baby."  
  
Harry looked up at Dumbledore astonished.  
  
"So, Harry, what else do you have on your mind?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Well, the last thing was pretty much it…" said Harry. "Except, I feel really uncomfortable in this house for some reason."  
  
"I feared you would. We all do, but I'm sure the feeling is the worst for you seeing that you thought of Sirius as more than a godfather, but as father figure, brother and a great friend. You felt comfortable talking to him about everything, even things you kept from me and you friends. Losing someone like that is not easy to do, and being in their old house just makes everything worse."  
  
Harry nodded, "It is hard, very hard. This house just has too many memories like the Christmas I shared with Sirius last year." A tear feel down Harry's cheek.  
  
"Things will get better, Harry. I promise they will." said Dumbledore.  
  
"I hope so," said Harry. "I'm just curious, how did you know Sirius was bothering me earlier?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled, "I know when people are lying to me Harry, as I told you last year, I'm a very skilled legimist."  
  
Harry laughed, "Well, then I better stay out of trouble for once this year if I can't lie. Wouldn't want another year full of detentions like last year."  
  
"You won't have as much to worry about this year, I hope. Dolores Umbridge was fired from the Hogwarts staff."  
  
"There could be people worse than Umbridge… though I doubt it." Harry replied.  
  
"I think you will like the new Defense Against the Darks Arts teachers a lot better this year. Perhaps enough not to start illegal after-school groups again, I reckon."  
  
Harry turned red, "It was peer pressure…" Harry said defensively.  
  
"I'm not mad anyway, it was such a great group name you know." Dumbledore said proudly.  
  
Harry laughed, "Ginny came up with the name. I just taught the spells."  
  
"I heard Hogwarts had the highest OWL scores in Defense Against the Dark Arts recorded in a while, I think you did a good job, unless Professor Umbridge taught all those spells. Your OWL scores should be arriving this week I believe… so you can wait and see I guess."  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
"Well, you certainly seem to be in a better mood then you were earlier," said Dumbledore. "Is there anything else on your mind?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry. "Err- thanks for talking to me about Sirius, it really helped."   
  
Dumbledore smiled, "I knew it would. That's why I spent so long following you around the house…"  
  
"I'm sorry I was being to rude earlier, Professor." Harry apologized.  
  
"That's okay, Harry. I understand discussing your feelings about Sirius must have been a really hard thing to do. The important thing is that you did." said Dumbledore. "Oh my! It's already one in the morning. I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait until tomorrow to see your surprise, Harry."  
  
Dumbledore saw a puzzled look on Harry's face.  
  
"I mentioned it in the letter, Harry." said Dumbledore. "You'll see it tomorrow, it's much too late right now, and you should get to bed before Molly gets angry with me."  
  
"What is it?" asked Harry.  
  
"You will see it tomorrow, Harry. I must get going now," replied Dumbledore. "Good night, Harry."  
  
"Goodbye, Professor" Harry said.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and walked out the door. Harry laid down onto his bed without even changing into pajamas into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Please review!


	2. The Unexpected Gift

**Chapter 2: The Unexpected Gift**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**Jen**: Thanks for reviewing. Care to tell me why I suck? I just put the first chapter up yesterday! Please allow me some time to type. I like fluffy parts... there will probably be a lot of fluff, sorry.  
  
**MuGgLeNeT27**: Thanks! I hope it stays pretty good, I'm not the best writer.  
  
**REBELICIOUS4701**: Thank you for reading and reviewing!  
  
**Author's Note**: The next chapters won't be up as soon, I'm out of school for summer break starting Friday, so hopefully I'll get the first 8 chapters all typed soon, and finish writing more chapters. By the way, sorry if I put too much fluff in my story, fluffy parts are my favorite to write. Also, I'll try not to make so many cliffhangers. And yes, I do know some parts are a bit 'cheesy' and sometimes a bit out of character.   
  
The next morning Harry awoke to Ron shaking him.  
  
"Get up, mate! It's eight and mum says breakfast is ready!"  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"She's waiting downstairs," Ron replied.  
  
Harry was still a bit tired, but got up realizing how hungry he was. They walked into the kitchen and were greeted by Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Good morning, boys! Did you sleep well, Harry?"  
  
"Yes, very well, thanks." Harry replied.  
  
Harry walked to the table and noticed the rest of the Order was already sitting down. Hermione had saved Harry the seat beside her, and Harry sat down.  
  
"Good morning, Harry." said Hermione.  
  
"Morning, Hermione. Thanks for saving me this seat." Harry replied. Hermione blushed, but Harry didn't notice.  
  
"Well, you seem to be in a better mood today, Harry," said Lupin.  
  
Harry shrugged, "I guess."  
  
"Well, that's good, " said Hermione, "you seemed really down yesterday."  
  
"Yeah, I was," said Harry, "but Dumbledore and I discussed a few things yesterday and cleared up a few things, so I'm okay now I guess."  
  
Harry looked up and saw Mrs. Weasley putting plates of bacon, eggs and toast on the table with three pitchers of orange juice.   
  
"The food looks wonderful, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.  
  
"Thank you, Harry. Don't be shy, there is plenty to go around." said Mrs. Weasley smiling.  
  
Tonks grabbed a piece of toast and everyone else started eating. Harry didn't realize how hungry he was until he was on his third plate. He heard Mr. And Mrs. Weasley talking.  
  
"I swear, Arthur. The poor boy is so skinny, I wonder if his terrible aunt and uncle even feed him."  
  
"Well, Molly, they must give him some food or else he'd be dead right now," said Mr. Weasley laughing.  
  
There was a loud 'crack!' and everyone looked up to see Dumbledore standing at the end of the table by the door.  
  
"You scared me half to death, professor! Please try to send an owl or something first next time if you can."  
  
"I'm very sorry, Molly. I'd just like to have a word with Harry in the hallway for a minute."  
  
_Great, now what did I do?_ Harry thought as he got up and followed Dumbledore into the hallway.  
  
"What did I do this time, Professor?" asked Harry with a chuckle.  
  
"I'm glad to see that you are still in a good mood," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "you didn't do anything bad that I know of, I just came to give you your surprise."  
  
"Oh, what is it, Professor?" asked Harry anxiously.  
  
"Hold on, Harry." said Dumbledore. "Molly, I'm taking Harry to see his surprise now."  
  
"Wait-," said Harry happily. "We actually get to leave to see it?"  
  
"Yes, of course." said Dumbledore. "We're taking a portkey. On the count of three, touch this muggle currency. 1... 2... 3!"  
  
Harry was once again spinning around like he had been yesterday until he and Harry landed in a house Harry didn't recognize.  
  
"Err- May I asked where we are, Professor?" Harry asked.  
  
"Just wait, Harry. You'll know soon." replied Dumbledore.  
  
They walked into a room with two people sitting on the couch. There was a girl with bright, emerald green eyes and curly, red hair and a guy with messy, jet black hair and hazel eyes. He looked very similar to Harry except their eye colors were different.   
  
"Harry, I'd like you to meet your parents." Dumbledore said calmly.  
  
"WHAT?" Harry yelled.  
  
"Meet your parents." Dumbledore repeated.  
  
"This is impossible… There is no way… I THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD!" Harry yelled.   
  
"They were," said Dumbledore calmly. "I guess I will need to explain what happened to you, Harry. Meet me in the hallway."  
  
Harry walked into the hallway very confused.  
  
"What is going on, Professor? I thought you said my parents were dead?" asked Harry.  
  
"That's because they were dead, Harry." said Dumbledore. "but they are alive again."  
  
"But how?" asked Harry. "I mean, there is no way to come back to life after being killed by the curse Voldemort uses."  
  
"Ah, that is where you are wrong, Harry." said Dumbledore. "It is very rare though."  
  
"Well, what happened?" asked Harry impatiently.  
  
"Hold on, Harry. I'm getting there." said Dumbledore.   
  
"As you know, your wand contains a feather from the same phoenix as Tom Riddle's wand. Well, in your fourth year, you dueled Tom and saw the rare effect of your two wands together. As you probably remember, forms of Voldemort's last victims came out of Tom's wand tip, including your mother and father's bodies-"  
  
"But how did they become solid bodies?" asked Harry.  
  
"I'm getting there, Harry. Please be patient while I tell the story." said Dumbledore.  
  
"Sorry, Professor," Harry apologized, "please continue."  
  
"As I was saying," said Dumbledore.  
  
"Your mother and father's bodies came out of the wand tip. I believe that your wand connection helped activate some sort of ancient magic. Now, Voldemort does not understand ancient love magic still as he did not when you were a baby, Harry. What I think happened is the connection made your parents real bodies come out and not just ghostly images like the other bodies.  
  
As you know, your parents sacrificed their lives to save you, which is where the ancient love magic comes in. this type of love magic is extremely rare though. Your parents came out of the wands like Cedric's body and the others, but it was different for them. No one else coming out of the wand had really sacrificed their life for someone else.   
  
Because Voldemort killed your parents while they were trying to protect you, it created a sort of invisible chain. This chain allowed your parents to have bodies and stay out of the wand, because you finished the chain's bond by loving your parents as they loved you. I'm sorry I can't explain this more clearer, Harry. Love magic is a very complex thing, a lot of wizards don't understand it fully."  
  
"Professor- May I ask you a question?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, you just did, but ask as many as you'd like and I'll try to answer them." said Dumbledore. "I understand you must be very confused at the moment."  
  
"Err- Professor, I was wondering why you didn't tell me my parents were alive in my fourth or fifth year, but you waited until now."  
  
"I thought you would ask that, Harry." said Dumbledore. "You see, your parents were still recovering from the damage from the curse and I wasn't sure if they were gonna make it or not. I didn't want you to have to suffer their loss again if they didn't make it, so I decided to wait until they were healthy before I told you."  
  
"This is very confusing," said Harry.  
  
"That's why I helped you get rid of all your sad and angry emotions last night, Harry. No one would have been able to handle what you are facing right now with all those emotions." said Dumbledore.  
  
"That makes sense," said Harry "I thought it was kinda odd that you were pushing me into talking last night… Shall I go meet my parent now, then?"  
  
"That would be a great idea." said Dumbledore smiling.  
  
They both walked back into the living room and Harry walked cautiously towards the couch.  
  
"Mum? Dad?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, honey, it's us!" said Lily, tears going down her and James' cheeks.  
  
"Wait, just so I know it really is you two… Dad, can I see you animagi form?"  
  
"Very well, son. If you really wanna see me become a stag. I'm not sure how you found out about that, but anyway…"  
  
There was a quiet sound and Harry looked down on the floor to see a stag. There was a soft 'boom!' and his dad was back as a human again.  
  
"Wow! That was fantastic! You both passed! I can't believe this, I'm actually meeting my parents!" Harry exclaimed as he jumped onto the couch and started hugging his parents.  
  
"I can't believe this! This is the best day of my life!" Harry screamed with excitement.  
  
"I'm knew you'd be very happy about this, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I'll be back to check on you three later."  
  
"Wait, Professor-" said James.  
  
"Yes, James?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"My animagi… you aren't gonna report it… you know, as unregistered, are you?" asked James.  
  
"No, I don't plan to, unless you want me to," said Dumbledore. "I would have reported you years ago when I found out if I was going to, Prongs." Dumbledore winked.  
  
"So you know about the Marauders, eh?" said James. "Darn Moony… I bet it was him… Well, that's not important anyway. I really appreciate you keeping this a secret."  
  
"Well, I'll be going now," said Dumbledore as he dissapparated with a loud 'crack!'  
  
Harry, James and Lily sat back on the couch together.   
  
"Oh, Harry! You've grown up so fast! You look just like James!" said Lily.  
  
"Oh, yes. He has my good looks-" started James as Harry and Lily laughed. "-but he has your beautiful green eyes, Lily."   
  
"We'd love to hear about your last fifteen years, Harry." said Lily.  
  
"…The stories are really long." complained Harry.  
  
"Well, I'm listening." said both James and Lily.  
  
"Well, okay then…" started Harry. "It started with-"  
  
Harry told them all about how he had survived Voldemort as a baby, living with the Dursleys, and how badly they treated him. Then, Harry told them about how he first found out he was a wizard with Hagrid, his first trip to Diagon Alley, getting onto the platform for the first time, meeting Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his two best friends, the sorting hat's tough decision when he arrived at Hogwarts, getting on the Gryffindor quittich team, fighting the mountain troll, getting passed the three headed dog, and saving the Sorcerer's Stone. Then, Harry continues with his second year when he found out he could speak parseltongue, being accused of being the heir of Slytherin, making the illegal Polyjuice Potion, finding Tom Riddle's diary, defeating the basilisk and pulling the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the sorting hat during the fight. He then proceeded to tell them about his third year when he blew up his aunt Marge, rode the Knight Bus, his Diviniation lessons, passing out from the dementors, Professor Lupin teaching him the patronus, sneaking into Hogsmede, winning the Quittich House   
  
Cup, meeting Sirius for the first time, trying to kill Sirius, letting Peter Pettigrew, the traitor get away by accident, and saving Sirius from the Dementor Kiss. He then told hid parent all going to see the quittich world cup, being in the Triwizard Tournament, dueling Voldemort and almost being killed by an imposter of Moody. After that, Harry began to explain his fifth year. He told them about when he fought the dementors, first learned about the Order, almost got expelled and had to go to a Ministry hearing, having dreams of black doors in corridors, saving Arthur Weasley, taking Occulemeny lessons, taking his O.W.L.S, going to the Department of Mysteries, finding the prophecy, being attacked by Death Eaters, being possessed by Voldemort, Sirius falling through the Veil, (Harry cried when he told them.), and actually hearing the prophecy.  
  
"-And today I met my parents finally." Harry ended.  
  
"You've got a lot to handle, son. You need to take a break sometime." said Lily. "and you remind me so much of James… Quittich, breaking rules, disliking Snape, and sneaking into Hogsmede with that stupid map thing…"  
  
"I made that stupid map, Lily." said James.  
  
Lily blushed, "I meant awesome map…"  
  
"I'm so proud of you son, you take after me so well." said James and Harry smiled.  
  
"James!" Lily snapped. "Do you want our son hexing people and spending half the school year in detention? 'Cause you are not setting a very good example for him!"  
  
"Relax, Lily." said a calm voice from the back of the room. "Harry does not hex people in the hallways yet and he doesn't get nearly as many detentions as James did."  
  
Harry, James and Lily looked up at the other side of the room and saw Professor Dumbledore.   
  
"How long have you been here, Professor?" Lily asked.  
  
"Long enough," replied Dumbledore. "I just came to check up on you three and pick up Harry."  
  
"You could have interrupter me, Professor." said Harry.  
  
"Yes, I suppose I could have," said Dumbledore. "but I enjoyed hearing all the rules you broke over the last three years. It was a bit enlightening." Dumbledore laughed.  
  
Harry's face turned red of embarrassment, "You were hear that long?! I'm not gonna get in trouble for any of that stuff, am I?" asked Harry worriedly.  
  
"Of course not!" said Dumbledore. "I'm not gonna punish you for things I never caught you doing. That would be really unfair, especially to punish you during summer break. But I'd like to point out that you are a lot like a mini version of James."  
  
Dumbledore, Harry and James laughed.  
  
"I don't want my son to grow up acting like James did!" Lily whined.  
  
"I heard that." said James.  
  
"Once again, relax Lily, Harry and James have a lot of differences too," said Dumbledore. "Anyway, Harry, we need to get going. The Order may be getting worried."  
  
"Can't I just stay here?" Harry begged. "I've barely had a chance to talk to my parents."  
  
"I should have known you would want to stay here," Dumbledore sighed. "I'll go speak with the rest of the Order.  
  
There was a 'crack!' and Dumbledore dissapparated.

* * *

Please review! And if anyone knows how to make bold and itallics, please let me know. Thanks!  
  
Hmm... I think the explainaton for how Lily and James came back is a little lame, but I couldn't think of anything to explain it.


	3. A New Place to Call Home

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, charters, ect. are more likly property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
review responses:  
  
**MuGgleNeT27**: Thanks for the bold/itallics help! Thanks for catching the Hogsmede mistake. I fixed all the typos in the last chapter too.  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana**: Thanks! I'll try to add more Moony after chapter 10, because I already wrote the first 10 chapters. Thanks for the help on the bold/itallics.  
  
**randomperson619, Annalyse Malfoy, and volleypick**le16: Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Lizzyyy:** Thank you!  
  
**anonomous:** Thanks! What kind of revenge?  
  
**Author's note**: I've re-done the first two chapters to include bold and itallics. The next few chapters won't be up as quickly, but I'll try to get them up as soon as possible.   
  
**Chapter 3: A New Place to Call Home**  
  
Dumbledore reappeared in the room fifteen minutes later.  
  
"Okay, the Order is still deciding whether or not Harry would be safe at this house-" Harry rolled his eyes. "-but Lily, James, you are welcome to come to Grimmauld place with Harry." said Dumbledore. "and I saw you rolling your eyes, Harry."  
  
Harry and James laughed. Harry turned to James and Lily, "Would you two like to come to Grimmauld Place with me, so I can be 'safe'?"  
  
"Of course we want to come!" exclaimed Lily.  
  
"Well, if you have to go then I will too." said James.  
  
"Well, since Harry isn't old enough to apparate, we are going to go by portkey." said Dumbledore. "On the count of three touch this muggle currency. 1... 2... 3!"  
  
For a third time that week, Harry saw the world around him spinning until he landed safely in the kitchen hallway of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.  
  
"They're about to eat," said Dumbledore. "if you hurry, you may be able to sneak in before anyone notices Harry is late."  
  
Lily, James and Harry walked into the kitchen. There were three open chairs across from Ron and Hermione. Harry sat in the middle chair, Lily on Harry's right and James of Harry's left, and to the right of Remus.   
  
"No one seems to be making a big deal you're alive…" Harry pointed out.  
  
"They met us last week." Lily informed him  
  
"And they made a huge deal of it. They also kept saying how much you and I look alive, Harry." James smiled.  
  
"Dumbledore thought it would be better if everyone wasn't shaking our hands and stuff on your first day with us," Lily informed Harry, "but I don't think we have met the lovely girl across from you yet."  
  
"Oh, you haven't?" Harry asked. "Mom, dad, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my mom and dad."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. And Mrs. Potter." said Hermione cheerfully.  
  
"Please, dear, call us Lily and James." said Lily.  
  
"Okay, Lily and James." said Hermione still cheerfully.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you from my son, Hermione." said James. "I heard you were clever, smart and have helped him out a lot over the years."  
  
James smiled. Harry and Hermione blushed a dark red. Mrs. Weasley began placing plates of hamburgers and fries on the table.   
  
"This looks great, Molly," said Lily. "I haven't had a hamburger in ages!"  
  
Tonks grabbed a hamburger and everyone else began eating.  
  
"Harry, dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "can you show your parents upstairs to your bedroom. The extra bed in there is empty since Ron and Hermione have their own rooms this summer, so I thought you might like your parents to have it tonight." Mrs. Weasley smiled.  
  
"Sure, Mrs. Weasley, thanks!" said Harry. "Mum, dad, follow me upstairs to our room."  
  
James and Lily got up and followed Harry upstairs into the room.  
  
"This bed is mine," said Harry pointing to a smaller bed. "and this bed is yours." he said pointing to the slightly larger bed.  
  
"Err… so now what?" asked Harry.  
  
James hit Harry with a pillow.  
  
"Hey!" said Harry laughing.  
  
Lily laughed. Harry picked up a pillow and hit Lily. James laughed, and Lily hit James. They all kept hitting each other and had a huge pillow fight. They all stopped when they heard a loud 'crack!' and turned around. Dumbledore was standing there smiling.  
  
"I'm glad to see you three are having fun," Dumbledore smiled. "I was just checking to make sure everything was alright again."  
  
"Can you please apparate outside the door and knock next time at least?" Lily asked laughing. "You scared me."  
  
"Sorry about that, Lily. I'll try to knock next time." said Dumbledore. "Well, Harry seems to be enjoying himself, so I'll just get going now before I ruin the fun…"  
  
"Thanks, Professor." said Harry smiling.  
  
Dumbledore walked out the door and disapparated with a loud 'Crack!'  
  
"It's getting late, James." said Lily yawning. "I think we should go to bed."  
  
"Aww!" said Harry sadly. "We were having so much fun!"  
  
"Well, I promise we will have lots of fun tomorrow, son." said James ruffling Harry's messy black hair.  
  
"Well, okay," said Harry. "If you promise…"  
  
Harry changed into his pajamas and walked over to his bed. Lily and James followed him.  
  
"Good night, son." said James hugging Harry.  
  
"Good night, Harry." said Lily kissing Harry's forehead.  
  
"Goodnight mum, goodnight dad." said Harry.  
  
James pulled off Harry's glasses and sat them on the nightstand next to Harry's wand. He snuck a kiss onto Harry's cheek and walked over to his bed on the other side of the room. Harry had never been happier in his entire life. He fell into another dreamless sleep.  
  
The next morning Harry awoke to Lily shaking him.  
  
"Get up Harry! It's a new day!" exclaimed Lily excitedly.  
  
"It's early," said Harry.  
  
"It's already 7:30," said Lily.  
  
"Ten more minutes, mum." said Harry sleepily.  
  
"Aww, fine." said Lily. "I guess you're not a morning person either, just like your father."  
  
Harry looked over to the side of the room to see James still sleeping also an laughed.  
  
"I'll get up now if I get to wake up dad." said Harry smiling.  
  
"Well, alright…" said Lily.  
  
Harry got out of bed and walked over to James' bed. He jumped on the bed and started tickling James.  
  
"S-s-stop H-Harry, I'm s-s-sleeping!" laughed James.  
  
"Not anymore, dad. It's time to get up." said Harry.  
  
"Oh, you sound like Lily now," said James. "but fine, have it your way."  
  
James got up out of the bed and ruffled Harry's hair. Then, he pushed Harry onto the bed and started tickling him.  
  
"D-d-dad!" Harry laughed as he jumped off the bed.  
  
Harry smiled and James smiled back.  
  
"I should have warned you, Harry. No one pulls a prank on Prongs and gets away with it." said James.  
  
Harry laughed and ruffled his dad's hair. James ruffled Harry's hair back. They both laughed and walked downstairs into the kitchen where Lily was sitting at the table with most of the Order members, except the ones still asleep and on duty.   
  
"I see you two finally go up." said Lily.  
  
"Yup," said James still laughing. "Harry made me."  
  
They both walked across the room and sat at the table across from Lily.  
  
"So, what are we going to do today?" Harry asked excitedly.  
  
"I was thinking we could go to Godric's Hollow." said James. "We have a beautiful Quittich pitch in the backyard."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and James winked.  
  
"Well, tell me how it is after you fly around it." said Harry sadly.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked James confused.  
  
"Well, I kinda got a lifetime Quittich ban last year…" said Harry quietly.  
  
"HOW DID YOU GET A LIFETIME BAN?!?" James yelled.  
  
"Calm down, James!" said Lily.  
  
"Well… er… I kinda had a 'Muggle duel' with Malfoy last year after a game." said Harry.  
  
"Why?" asked Lily and James.  
  
"Well… he was making fun of Ron and the Weasleys… and mum. And, well, I kinda lost my temper." said Harry sadly.  
  
"Dumbledore banned you for THAT?" James asked. "That's only worth a few detentions at the most!"  
  
"Not, Dumbledore," said Harry. "Dolores Umbridge was in charge of the school at the time, and she banned me. Professor McGonagall only wanted to give me a week of detentions for it though."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna have a word with Dumbledore about that, Harry." said James. "Maybe he can un-ban you. I'll send him an owl"  
  
"Thanks, dad!" said Harry hopefully.  
  
James left and came back fifteen minutes later with a letter in his hand.  
  
"How's this, Harry?" James asked pushing the letter in front of Harry. Harry read:  
  
**_Dear Professor Dumbledore,  
  
I thought it would be fun if Lily, Harry and I went back to the house today. I'm hoping you approve of it, because I'd love to show Harry the Quittich pitch. Now, as I understand it from Harry, he got a lifetime Quittich ban last year. Now, I know Harry and I have a lot of things in common, but I don't think Harry did anything terrible enough to deserve a lifetime ban. He claims he got it for having a 'Muggle duel' with a student named Malfoy, because he lost his temper from Malfoy's insults. I'm not saying Harry was right to duel Malfoy, but a detention or two would have been a much fairer punishment. I'd really appreciate it if you'd reconsider Harry's Quittich ban, and Harry would also. Thanks anyway if you do not un-ban him.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
James Potter_**  
  
"The letter is great, dad!" exclaimed Harry. "I hope it's convincing enough for Dumbledore."  
  
"Can I borrow your owl, Hedwig, to send it, Harry?" asked James.  
  
"Of course, she's upstairs in my room." said Harry.  
  
James got up from the table and walked out of the room. He returned five minutes later.  
  
"I sent it," said James.  
  
Harry hugged James and James ruffled Harry's hair again.   
  
"Daddd!" Harry whined. "You're making it messier than it already is!"  
  
James and Harry laughed. There was a loud 'Pop!' and Dumbledore was standing at the door.  
  
"Professor," Lily laughed. "you might as well move in to save yourself the trouble of apparating."  
  
Dumbledore and James laughed.  
  
"I have considered that before, but I'd rather live in my office." said Dumbledore. "I came to speak with James and Harry."  
  
Harry and James got up and followed Dumbledore into the living room.  
  
"I received your letter, James." said Dumbledore.  
  
"And--?" asked James eagerly.  
  
"Be patient, Mr. Potter. I'm getting there." laughed Dumbledore. "As I was saying, I received your letter and it really surprised me. Now, Harry, do you really think I'd ban one of the best seekers Hogwarts has ever had just for dueling another student?"  
  
Harry and James smiled at the compliment.  
  
"Er- I'm not sure, sir." said Harry.  
  
"Well, then I'll be the one to tell you that I defiantly would not." said Dumbledore. "Unless, of course, you want me to ban you, but then I'm afraid I'd have to tell Minerva to find a new caption for the Gryffindor Quittich team."  
  
Harry's eyes widened with excitement.  
  
"I'm the caption, professor?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "but if you don't want to be caption I'll understand. I could always make Mr. Weasley caption."  
  
"What about Ginny?" Harry asked. "She's the team's seeker right now."  
  
"She was, Harry," said Dumbledore. "but she wanted to be a chaser more. I told her she could fill in one of the vacant chaser positions if you could be seeker again and she accepted."  
  
James hugged Harry happily. He could tell how proud James was of him.  
  
"Now as for those detentions, Harry." said Dumbledore; Harry frowned. "I don't think you will be needing any. I feel that missing the game against Ravenclaw is more than enough punishment for you."  
  
"I- I don't know what to say, sir." said Harry. "Thank you so much, professor!"  
  
Dumbledore smiled, "You are very welcome, Harry. Now, as for going home with your parents, Harry. I've spoken with the rest of the Order and we have decided it would be safe for you to stay at Godric's Hollow with your parents. We really don't think Voldemort will risk killing you again under your parent's supervision after what happened last time."  
  
Harry pulled James into a tighter hug.  
  
"I can't believe this, dad! I'm going to go live with you! I'm so excited!"  
  
"You can travel by floo powder when you are ready," said Dumbledore. "I'll go tell Lily."  
  
"When would you like to leave, son?" James asked eagerly.  
  
"Whenever you and mom are ready," said Harry. "I just got to get my trunk and say goodbye to Ron and Hermione."  
  
"I'll go speak with your mother," said James. "you go get ready."  
  
Harry ran up the stairs to see Ron and Hermione. They were sitting in Ron's bedroom talking.  
  
"Ron! Hermione! Guess what?!" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna guess it's something good," said Hermione. "you certainly seem excited."  
  
"What is it, mate?" asked Ron.  
  
"I'm going to Godric's Hollow to live with my parents!" Harry said excitedly.  
  
"That's wonderful!" said Hermione.  
  
"That what you've always wanted, isn't it, mate?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes," said Harry. "but I'll miss you two."  
  
"We'll ,miss you too, Harry," said Hermione. "but maybe we will see you in Diagon Ally. We'll see you September first for sure."  
  
"Yup, see you at school." Ron grinned.  
  
"Bye Ron, bye Hermione!" said Harry.  
  
"Bye Harry!" Ron and Hermione said in unison.  
  
Harry grabbed his school trunk and Hedwig's cage from his room and walked back downstairs. His parents were already in the living room waiting.   
  
"Are you ready, honey?" Lily asked.  
  
Harry nodded, and Lily gave him some floo powder.  
  
"Your father will take your things, Harry. Just step into the fire and yell, 'Potter House, Godric's Hollow!'"  
  
Harry stepped into the fireplace and threw down the floo powder.  
  
"Potter House, Godric's Hollow!" Harry shouted.  
  
The flames turned green and rose up high. He started spinning very fast, until he landed in the house he met his parents in last night. Harry got up from the floor and walked over to the couch to wait. Then, Harry's father came out of the fire carrying Hedwig's cage and Harry's school trunk.  
  
"Daddy!" Harry cried.  
  
James smiled and walked over to the couch, setting Harry's trunk down on the way. James sat beside Harry on the couch, ruffling Harry's hair.  
  
"Gotta keep your hair messy for the girls, Harry." said James.  
  
Harry and James laughed. Then, Lily came out of the fire.  
  
"Mum!" Harry cried.  
  
"Hello Harry, dear." said Lily. "James, why don't you show Harry to his room?"  
  
"Okay, Lily." said James. "C'mon Harry  
  
Harry got up and followed his father down the hallway, up the stairs and to the right.  
  
"This is your room, Harry." said James opening the door to a gigantic bedroom.  
  
Harry's eyes widened. It was incredible! The room was at least twice the size of his room at the Dursleys' house. The walls were striped in scarlet and gold. The bed was queen sized with a navy blue and golden snitch print bedspread. Covering the walls were posters of famous Quittich players. In the corner, there was an oak desk with a soft scarlet chair. Opposite the desk there was a bookshelf and a shelf for his broom. To the right of the window there was a huge walk in closet.   
  
"We thought you'd like the Gryffindor colors," said James. "and Quittich posters."  
  
"I love it!" Harry said excitedly.  
  
"I'm glad you like it son. Would you like to see the backyard now?" James winked.  
  
Harry got up and followed James into the backyard. When he got there, his eyes widened with excitement.  
  
"You REALLY have a Quittich pitch!?"  
  
'Yes," said James. "did you think I made it up or something?"  
  
"Well… you could have been trying to bribe me, but you didn't need to. I've been waiting years to have a family!" said Harry.  
  
James smiled fondly at Harry.  
  
"Would you like to try out the pitch, son?" James asked eagerly. "I'm sure you'd love to get back on your broom after all these months not on it."  
  
"I'd love to," said Harry. "let me get my broom."  
  
James and Harry walked inside and grabbed their brooms.  
  
"Lily, Harry and I are going for a fly around the pitch!" James yelled as they walked out the door.  
  
"Boys…" Lily sighed.  
  
"Wow! Is that a Firebolt, Harry?" James' jaw dropped. "I'm still riding a Cleansweep 5."  
  
"Yeah," said Harry. "I got it from S-Sirius in my third year."  
  
James noticed Harry didn't want to bring up Sirius and immediately dropped the subject. They both mounted their brooms and flew up into the sky. James released the golden snitch and they both competed to catch it.  
  
"Captains shake hands." Harry imitated Madam Hooch from Hogwarts.  
  
Harry and James shook hands and laughed.   
  
"I'm gonna show you how Quittich is really played, dad!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Remember Harry, you got your Quittich talent from me!" James reminded him.  
  
They flew around the pitch in circles looking for the snitch. Harry decided to throw James off by doing a Wronski Feint. Harry dove down close the ground and James followed. About ten feet from the ground, Harry dove back up. James stopped for a moment trying to regain balance on his broom.   
  
Then, Harry saw it; the golden snitch! He moved in towards it, James had regained his balance and was also moving toward it. It was right between them now, each was about thirty feet away from it. Harry moved first. He speeded in towards it and James followed. Neck in neck they reached out their arms to grab it. Finally, Harry grasped the tiny golden ball into his fist and zoomed up, yelling in triumph.  
  
"Dad, I got the snitch!" Harry yelled.  
  
James looked up full of surprise. Harry had the walnut sized ball gleaming from the sunlight between his fingers. _So this is why he's the youngest keeper in a century_ James thought.   
  
"Nice job, son!" James said proudly. "The Wronski Feint was fantastic!"  
  
"You're not a bad seeker yourself," Harry said as they flew down. "I'd love to see your keeping skills sometime though."  
  
"Maybe I can arrange to have some people over later this summer." said James."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked. "That'd be awesome!"  
  
James nodded. "I guess we should go in, dinner should be ready soon."  
  
Harry agreed. They walked inside and saw Lily setting the table.  
  
"How was the game?" Lily asked.  
  
"It was fantastic!" said Harry.  
  
"Okay," James sighed.  
  
"I think he's mad I beat him." Harry whispered to Lily. Lily laughed.  
  
"Hey! I heard that, Harry!" said James.  
  
"Heard what?" Harry asked faking an innocent tone.  
  
"Don't try to fool me, I heard you calling me a sore loser." James joked.  
  
"Alright dad, you caught me." Harry laughed.  
  
"That's my boy!"   
  
James gave Harry a playful slap on the arm and Harry ruffled James' hair.  
  
"Hey!" said James.  
  
"Gotta keep your hair messy to uphold the Potter reputation." Harry reminded him.  
  
James laughed, "Good thinking, Harry."  
  
"Mini-James…" Lily muttered to herself.   
  
"I heard that!" James and Harry yelled at the same time.  
  
"Well, it's true," said Lily. "and dinners ready."  
  
Harry sat down across from Lily and James. There was a roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and milk on the table.  
  
"This looks delicious, mum." Harry said looking around the table.  
  
"Thank you, Harry." said Lily. "Eat as much as you'd like, it's obvious my rotten sister has not been feeding you enough over the years."  
  
Harry finished three plates of turkey before he was full.  
  
"Hungry?" James asked laughing.  
  
"Just a little," Harry replied with a laugh.  
  
"Leave him alone, James!" Lily snapped. "He needs meat on his bones!"  
  
"That's okay, mom. He wasn't bothering me. I'm finished now anyway." Harry said.  
  
Harry got up and began walking out of the kitchen.  
  
"Leaving already?" James asked sadly.  
  
"I er.. Umm… yeah, I am." said Harry. "I have to unpack my things if I'm staying here you know."  
  
"Oh, we'll help you, Harry!" said Lily.  
  
The three of them walked into Harry's room and unpacked.  
  
"Look at the time!" Lily said after they had finished. "It's way past your bedtime, Harry."  
  
"Bedtime?" Harry asked a bit confused.  
  
"You know, the time you need to be in bed by, Harry." said Lily. "Didn't Petunia give you a bedtime?"  
  
"Lily," James laughed. "I think Harry may be new to this 'bedtime' thing like we are to parenting a teenaged boy."  
  
"Well, you have one now, Harry." said Lily.  
  
"Honestly Lily, Harry is almost sixteen years old! I think he's responsible enough not to need a bedtime!" said James.  
  
"Fine, have it your way, James." said Lily. "I'll trust Harry to choose an appropriate time to go to bed, but I'm going to bed right now."  
  
With that, Lily walked out of the room and Harry looked up at James."  
  
"I'm going to bed now, I'll trust you not to stay up too late." said James.  
  
"Goodnight, dad!" said Harry.  
  
"'Night Harry" said James.  
  
James walked out of the room and down the hallway. Harry grabbed a pair of Dudley's old pajamas from his dresser, put them on, and got into bed.

Please review!


	4. OWL Results

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, charters, ect. are more likly property of J.K. Rowling.

**Author's Note: **Sorry I took so long to get this chapter out! I wasn't home much to type. Chapter 5 is really short, so I'll most likely have it up soon. I'm not sure if this story will stop at Harry's summer or go on to his school year yet. It depends on how much time I have.  
  
review responses:

**jUliA** - Thank you!  
  
**blank 65** - His reactions will be changing in later chapters. Try and be patient with me, I haven't been able to get on much to type.  
  
**anonomous** - More is here! Sorry, it's a little short.  
  
**babyjayy **- Thanks you! Here's the update.  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana **- Thanks! More coming soon!  
  
**A-man** -Thanks for bringing that up. I originally had a lot of angst, but then omitted some it. I forgot to change it to general. I think it was changed now. Yeah, I guess Harry was a bit whiny. I don't really like the first few chapters myself. Better chapters will be coming and I promise the angst will be here soon! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**wilting-tears** - sorry about the out of character parts. I'm trying to keep them in character. I agree it is a bit fluffy. I'll try to reduce fluff in later chapters. Sorry about the misspellings, I thought Quidditch was really spelt Quittich... I double checked it though and was wrong.  
  
**Jen** - sorry about the fluff. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**volleypickle16**- Thanks! More soon.  
  
**minnie-mae** - Thank you!  
  
**hpstoryguy** - Thanks for reviewing! I agree I'm going out of character and I'm editing my story to try to get Harry in character. I promise there will be anger coming soon if I have time to go into Harry's school year also. I'm writing chapter 10s draft now and it's only early August I think.  
  
**Chapter 4: O.W.L Results  
**  
The next morning Harry was awakened by James.  
  
"It's time for breakfast, Harry." said James.  
  
"Er…" moaned Harry.  
  
James laughed, "C'mon Harry, Wake up!"  
  
"No, it's too early." replied Harry.  
  
"It's 8:30 Harry."  
  
"Like I said, it's early."  
  
"Don't make me come up there, Harry."  
  
Harry laughed into his pillow and James jumped up onto the bed. He started tickling Harry.  
  
"S-s-stop!" Harry said laughing.  
  
"Not until you get up," replied James.  
  
"F-f-fine, I'm g-getting up now." said Harry.  
  
James stopped tickling Harry and Harry got up out of bed.  
  
"That wasn't very nice." Harry said sleepily.  
  
"I told you I was gonna get you back after waking me up yesterday." said James. "and your mother told me to wake you up, because breakfast is ready."  
  
They walked into the kitchen and Lily was placing a pitcher of orange juice and a plate of pancakes on the table.  
  
"Good morning, Harry!" Lily said cheerfully.  
  
"'Morning," Harry responded, still a bit tired.  
  
Harry sat down at the table beside James who had already begun eating. He piled a few pancakes onto his plate and ate them. After breakfast, an official looking owl flew in.  
  
"Oh, it must be from Hogwarts!" Lily exclaimed.  
  
"I bet it's Harry's O.W.L results." James added.  
  
Lily picked up the first letter addressed to 'Harry Potter and parents/legal guardians'. It had the Hogwarts seal below.  
  
"Well, are we going to open it or not, Lily?" James asked eagerly.  
  
"Well, Harry should open it James." Lily said. "They are his grades."  
  
Lily handed the letter to Harry and he opened it slowly. Inside were his O.W.L. results.  
  
**_Dear Harry Potter and legal guardian,  
  
Listed below are the results of your son's Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. Please review these scores with your child. If you have any questions, send an owl to your child's Head of House.  
  
Charms- E  
Transfiguration- E  
Herbiology- O  
Defense Against the Dark Arts- O (Scorers note: Harry Potter received a perfect score on this exam)  
Potions- O  
Care of Magical Creatures- O  
Astronomy- A  
Divination- P  
History of Magic- D  
_****_  
Total Owls: 7  
_**  
"Yes!" Harry screamed.  
  
Lily looked proud. James looked at Harry confused.  
  
"I got an Outstanding in potions! I have a chance at being an Auror now!" Harry informed them.  
  
"That's wonderful, Harry!" said James. "Who teaches potions?"  
  
"Snape," said Harry. "and he only takes students with an O in his N.E.W.T. classes."  
  
"Oh, I see." said James. "I'm guessing Snape's N.E.W.T. class is pretty small then, because not many students get an O in potions."  
  
"Great job, Harry! Four Outstandings; I'm so proud of you!" said Lily.  
  
"Thanks," said Harry. "I didn't expect to get an O in Potions."  
  
Harry pulled out another letter and read:  
  
**_Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted into the following N.E.W.T. classes:  
  
-Defense Against the Dark Arts  
  
-Care of Magical Creatures  
  
-Charms  
  
-Transfiguration  
  
-Potions  
  
-Herbiology  
  
_** Harry stopped reading for a moment; his parents looked as surprised as he felt. He continued to read:  
  
**_Congratulations on making these N.E.W.T. classes. Please check your book list to make sure you have all the books for your N.E.W.T. courses. If you have any questions, please contact your child's Head of House._**  
  
"Wow, six N..E.W.T. classes!" said James   
  
"It's a lot more than I expected." said Harry.  
  
'I'm so proud of you Harry! Six N.E.W.T. classes! But you really should have put more effort into History of Magic and Divination."  
  
"Aurors don't need those subjects anyway, Lily." said James.  
  
"I expected a D in divination." Harry said. "I couldn't see anything in that crystal ball or the tea leaves."  
  
"I don't known how you could fail History of Magic though, I always thought it was rather easy." lily added as an afterthought.  
  
"Maybe for you, but Professor Binns is so boring!" Harry said. "…and I kinda fell asleep during the exam."  
  
Harry thought about this. If he hadn't fallen asleep, he never would have seen Voldemort's trick and Sirius would not have died. Harry got out of the chair angrily.  
  
"What's wrong?" James asked startled.  
  
"The dream!" Harry roared. "When I was taking the exam, I had a dream or Sirius being tortured! I thought it was real! I didn't know it was a trick!"   
  
Harry knocked the papers off the table and run outside. James hurried after him, while Lily picked the papers back up. Harry got to the end of the street before he stopped to catch his breath. James finally caught up with him.  
  
"Harry…" James started.  
  
"Leave me alone!" said Harry walking away.  
  
"It wasn't you fault, Harry!" said James struggling to keep up with his son. "I would have done the same if I thought Padfoot was in trouble. So would Moony."  
  
Harry glared at James for a moment. James could never take the place of Sirius in his heart. There was a long silence before Harry decided to speak.  
  
"What are you playing at? Coming here after I've lived fifteen hard years, suddenly thinking you can take the place of Sirius! Well let me tell you, you can't! You will never replace Sirius!" Harry roared.  
  
James looked heartbroken. He hesitated for a moment and frowned at Harry.  
  
"I don't want to replace Sirius, Harry. If you don't want me to be here for you, I won't. I just wanted you to be happy."  
  
Harry considered this for a moment and turned around to walk back home. James followed behind him. They reached the door and walked inside. Lily was at the table waiting. Harry sat down and pulled the letter in front of him. James sighed as he also sat down.  
  
"I have to pick my classes still." said Harry. "I was thinking N.E.W.T. Potions, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbiology, regular Astronomy, Divination and Ancient Runes instead of History of Magic."  
  
Lily and James nodded in approval as Harry filled out the paper and handed it to them.  
  
"Both of you have to sign." said Harry.  
  
_** I have read over my child's Ordinary Wizarding Level exam results and discusses his/her career choices with them. We agree our child should take the courses listed above.  
  
**Harry Potter James Potter  Lily Potter  
  
**student father/guardian mother/guardian  
**_  
"It says they prefer owls back as soon as possible." said Harry tying the parchment to the brown barn owls' leg.  
  
The owl flew away as Harry pulled out the last three letters.  
  
"Just the usual book list, start of term notice, and Quidditch captain letter." said Harry.  
  
"You're captain?" Lily asked surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I thought dad already told you." said Harry apologetically.  
  
"I was going to tell her tonight…" said James.  
  
"Congratulations, Harry!" said Lily who glowed proudly, despite the fact she wasn't a Quidditch person.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said glancing at his booklist. "I'm going to need some new books…"  
  
He looked over at the list again carefully.  
  
"And supplies." said Harry. "I need The Standard Book of Spells Grade 6 by Miranda Grishhawk, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts by Jeremy Mandrake, Discoveries of Ancient Runes by Nancy Hubblestone, Advanced Potion Brewing by Samuel Anthonies, and I need to replenish my potion supplies."  
  
"We can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow if you'd like," said Lily. "I've just got to find out key."  
  
"I have the key." said Harry.  
  
"No, that's your vault, Harry." said Lily. "James and I have a separate vault and we need to take some galleons out."  
  
"So it's all mine?" Harry asked, eyes widening.  
  
"To get you through school until you get a job," Lily said firmly. "so I hope you don't waste it."  
  
"Don't worry, I still have most of it left." Harry assured her.  
  
"So Harry, what should we buy you as a congratulation's gift?" James asked.  
  
"Huh?" said Harry.  
  
"For being quidditch caption, Harry." said James. "You deserve something. I can't think of anything to get you though. You already have an owl and the best broom model available."  
  
"What? I er- don't want anything if that's okay, dad. I mean it's just Quidditch captain…" said Harry.  
  
"Just Quidditch captain?!?" James asked. "This is a huge honor, Harry! Only one person per house is captain! Making the team alone is worth a gift!"  
  
"Calm down James!" said Lily. "He just doesn't want us to go though all the trouble of buying him an expensive gift."  
  
"It's no trouble at all, son." said James. "It really isn't!"  
  
"Well, I- er- already have everything I want." said Harry.  
  
"You're right." James sighed.  
  
"Well, if you really want to buy me something, surprise me." said Harry.  
  
James grinned, "That's a good idea, Harry. I think I will."  
  
Lily stood up from the table and turned to James and Harry.  
  
"James, Harry, you two need to get dressed, we're having lunch with the Order today." said Lily.  
  
Harry jumped out of his chair and ran down the hallway. James followed Harry up the stairs and went into his own room. Ten minutes later they both emerged from their rooms fully dressed and their teeth thoroughly brushed. Lily walked over with a comb and attempted to make their hair lie flat.  
  
"Give it up, mum." said Harry. "It never lies flat."  
  
James laughed and Harry grinned. Lily sighed and put the comb down.  
  
"We should get going," said Lily. "We're traveling by floo powder again."  
  
Harry groaned as he picked up his O.W.L. results and placed them carefully in his pocket with his wand. He made his way to the living room fire place.  
  
"You go first, Harry." said Lily.  
  
Harry walked over to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and threw in down into the flames.  
  
"Number Twelve Grimmauld Place!" Harry screamed.  
  
Harry tumbled out of the fireplace of Grimmauld Place and began brushing the dust off his robes. He defiantly needed to work on floo powder travel. A minute later his mom and dad came out of the fire. They walked into the living room and were greeted by several Order members.  
  
"Hey Lily, James, Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley. "Ron and Hermione are upstairs, Harry."  
  
"Thanks," said Harry.  
  
Harry heard the rest of the Order greet his parents as he walked up the stairs. He found Ron and Hermione in the hallway with their Hogwart's letters spread across the floor.  
  
"Hi Hermione, hey Ron!" said Harry running over to them.  
  
"Hey mate!" said Ron. "We're going over our O.W.L.s and picking classes."  
  
"I'm deciding whether or not to take History of Magic next year." said Hermione. "It could become useful one day."  
  
"I've already picked my classes." said Harry.  
  
"What N.E.W.T.s did you take?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbiology and Potions." replied Harry.  
  
"Potions?!" asked Ron and Hermione shocked. "I thought you were failing potions!"  
  
"I was," shrugged Harry. "I think they made a mistake, because I don't think I got an O on my potion's exam. I guess I'll find out soon. I can't wait to see the look on Snape's face when I walk into his classroom!"  
  
"Good job, Harry." said Ron. "I only made it into N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbiology, Transfiguration and Charms."  
  
"Thanks, you did really good too." said Harry. "What N.E.W.T.s did you make, Hermione?"  
  
"I made it into them all," Hermione blushed.  
  
"Congratulations, Hermione!" said Harry.  
  
"Thanks," said Hermione. "but I can't decide which ones to take."  
  
"Take them all?" Harry suggested. "Then you might have some with me."  
  
Hermione thought for a moment. "I think I'm going to drop History of Magic so I don't have too many classes."  
  
"I dropped History of Magic also." said Harry. "and I'm taking Astronomy, Divination and Ancient Runes."  
  
"That's it," said Ron. "I'm going to drop History of Magic for Ancient Runes also."  
  
"Cool," said Harry. "maybe we will have it together then."  
  
They heard footsteps and looked up to see Mrs. Weasley standing above them.  
  
"It's time for lunch." she said sweetly.  
  
"okay, mum. We'll be down in a second." said Ron.  
  
Ron, Harry and Hermione picked up their things and walked downstairs into the kitchen to sit down. They had sandwiches and soup for lunch.  
  
"I heard from James over there that you made six N.E.W.T. classes." said Remus. "Great job!"  
  
"Thanks," said Harry. "I made Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbiology and Potions."  
  
"Potions?" Lupin asked. "but professor Snape only takes students that got an outstanding in potions!"  
  
"I was surprised too, but my O.W.L. results said I got an outstanding." said Harry showing Lupin his O.W.L. results.  
  
Lupin's eyes widened. "You really did get an O in potions. Professor Snape said you weren't doing very well when I asked him…" said Lupin. "Looks like you may be becoming an Auror someday." Lupin smiled.  
  
"How did you find out I wanted to an Auror?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Professor McGonagall told me, not that she needed to, it's pretty obvious that you are interested in the topic." replied Lupin. "I remember your grades were almost all Os while I taught you and you started the D.A. club last year."  
  
"Who tells you all this?" Harry asked.  
  
"Dumbledore told me about the D.A. He found the name quite amusing actually." Lupin laughed. "Anyway, that's not important. Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, can you come over here, please?"  
  
Moody, Tonks and Kingsley walked over to where Harry and Remus were standing. Harry looked at Remus confused.  
  
"Mr. Potter Here is interested in becoming an Auror." Lupin started. "What do you three think?"  
  
"That's a great idea, Harry!" exclaimed Tonks. "but it's a lot of work. Hopefully you are a lot less clumsy than I am."  
  
"I defiantly think he could handle it." said Kingsley looking at Harry's O.W.L. results. "Great in Defense Against the Dark Arts I see. He has the confidence and bravery needed also. I think it is possible."  
  
"What about you, Moody?" asked Lupin.  
  
"I don't know, Remus. He still keeps his wand in his back pocket…" Moody growled.  
  
Harry looked in his back pocket and realized Moody was right. He turned a bright shade of scarlet and moved his wand to the front of his robes.  
  
"But," Moody continued. "he has the potential to be an Auror and in good in Defense Against the Dark Arts as Kingsley pointed out. Not many wizards his age can produce a real Patronus and resist the Imperius Cruse. He will still need to learn the Auror basics though."  
  
"he will be able to learn all that in training." Lupin said. "If he works hard on his N.E.W.T.s at least."  
  
"He better work hard on his N.E.W.T.s!" interrupted James. "I'll make him study if I have to. I won't allow my son to fail!"  
  
"Don't worry about it James." said Lily. "If he's determined to become an Auror, I know he will study hard."  
  
Harry looked up at the table and noticed everyone was staring at him. He turned an even deeper scarlet.  
  
"Look at the time!" Lily snapped. "We really must get going now. Thanks for having us over for lunch, Molly."  
  
"It was my pleasure, Lily." said Mrs. Weasley.  
  
Lily, James and Harry walked into the living room where a bright fire was burning.  
  
"Bye, Harry!" said Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Bye Ron, bye Hermione!" Harry replied.  
  
Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace with his mom and dad. He threw down the powder and yelled, "Potter House, Godric's Hollow!"  
  
Harry felt everything spinning around him until he landed face first on the floor of his house. He got up and dusted his robes off for the second time that day.  
  
"Sorry I embarrassed you back there, Harry." said James. "I wasn't thinking."  
  
"I've had worse anyway." Harry shrugged walking out of the room.  
  
James followed him, curious as to what things Harry could be embarrassed of.   
  
"What do you mean by 'I've had worse'?" James asked from Harry's doorway.  
  
"I was the only one fainting around the Dementors in my third year." said Harry not looking up.   
  
"You never told me what they made you hear." said James.  
  
"You don't want to know." said Harry running his hand over his Firebolt.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because," Harry hesitated for a moment, before whispering, "I heard you and mom dying."   
  
James, deciding the conversation was over, left the room. _Dementors force us to relive our worst memories,_ James thought_. Harry's worst memory was the night he defeated Voldemort. The night Lily and I died. It's no wonder he tried so hard to learn the Patronus Charm in third year_. James walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Lily has left a note saying she went to meet some old friends at the Three Broomsticks and she'd be home later. Bored, he walked back upstairs into his room. He began reading the Daily Prophet. Harry appeared at the doorway a few minutes later.  
  
"I heard your voices. I heard you telling mom to run. I heard mom screaming. Voldemort laughing. It was a replay of what happened that night in my head." Harry whispered.  
  
James put down his paper and looked up at Harry's eyes. His own were filled with tears as he remembered that night. He gave his life to try and give Lily and Harry the chance to escape. Lily gave her own life to save Harry's.  
  
"No one really understood how I felt. I wanted to hear your last words, but at the same time I didn't. Sirius understood sometimes. He was there for me; he lost you too. We both felt at blame sometimes. He did for changing Secret Keeper to Peter and I did, because I was the one Voldemort wanted." Harry said.  
  
James got up and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry I was never there for you, Harry." he said. "It wasn't your fault and it wasn't Sirius's either. I never want to hear you blame yourself for something you can't change again."  
  
Harry released himself from James' hold and left the room without answering. He went into his room and closed the door. James did the same.

****

Please Review! Constructive criticism is appreciated! Sorry if my O.W.L. results and class picking things are wrong, I'm not sure how the system really works in the wizarding world..


	5. Diagon Alley With Dad

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:

**babyjayy**: thanks for reviewing!

**AC/DC: **thank you for reviewing!

**volleypickle16:** Thanks for reviewing!

**airborne:** Thank you for reviewing! More chapters will be up soon. You will know their jobs later in the story. There are a lot of really good Lily and James alive fanfics out there. Try the seach thingy under the Harry Potter section on here. I found a few. harrypotter.com also has a lot of really good ones.

**Eric2:** Thanks for reviewing! I agree with you, Lily and James should have been more shocked, but what I came up with for that was worse than what I decided to put on this site. Instead, everyone needs to assume Lily and James already knew about Harry facing Voldemort, because they talked with the Order before seeing Harry. Lily and James decided not to get all upset and concerned about Harry about it. They didn't think Harry would like it. I should have put that in my author's note for chapter 2 or 3. I think the dialog is a bit off sometimes also, but this is my first fanfic so try to work with me.

**minnie-mae:** Thanks for reviewing! I tried to get the chapter up as fast as possible.

**Author's Note: A**nother chapter is finally up. Sorry it's so short. The next chapter is a lot longer, so it may not be up for a while. Sorry about misspelled words. I try to fix them all, but sometimes I miss them.

****

**Chapter 5: Diagon Alley With Dad**   
  
Harry awoke early the next morning to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen. He got up and walked into the kitchen. Lily was at the stove; she turned around when Harry walked in.  
  
"Good, you're awake," said Lily. "you must be hungry."  
  
Harry agreed and Lily placed a bowl of oatmeal, a glass of orange juice and two slices or toast in front of him. Harry had finished half his bowl of oatmeal when James walked in.  
  
"Smells great, Lily." he said making himself a bowl of oatmeal. He kissed Lily on the cheek and sat down beside Harry.  
  
"What time do you want to leave for Diagon Alley?" Lily asked. "I found our key last night, James."  
  
"In an hour or so I guess," said James. "Harry and I need to get ready."  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry and James left the kitchen to get ready. Harry took a shower and pulled on a clean black T-shirt and jeans with a black robe. He brushed his teeth and attempted to make his hair lie flat before walking into the living room. Lily and James were already in there waiting.  
  
"Have you key, Harry?" James asked.  
  
"Er- I'll be right back." said Harry running upstairs into his room to get it. "I got it, dad…" said Harry holding up the key as he breathed hard from the running.  
  
"Floo powder?" Harry asked.  
  
James nodded. They stepped into the fireplace and threw down the floo powder.  
  
"Diagon Alley!" Harry yelled.  
  
Harry spun around in the flames and landed with a thud inside an abandoned room. Lily and James walked out the door and turned right. Harry followed. They walked into Gringotts and Lily stepped up to the counter.  
  
"Excuse me. Lily, James and Harry Potter wish to make withdrawals." Lily said clearly setting the keys up on the counter.  
  
Once again Harry was riding in a cart through the many tunnels of Gringotts Bank. They stopped at Harry's vault first. He took a handful of galleons, sickles and knuts and placed them in his bag.  
  
"Looks like you haven't been wasting your money." James said happily.  
  
They walked back into the cart and stopped and James and Lily's vault. Harry's eyes widened as they opened it. They had at least four times as much gold as Harry! They filled their bags as Harry had done in his vault and left the bank.  
  
"I need to stop in Flourish and Blotts to get my new books," said Harry. "and the Apothecary to replenish my potion supplies."  
  
Harry walked into Flourish and Blotts and came out twenty minutes later with his new school book. James was looking in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.  
  
"Why don't you just go in there?" Lily asked James.  
  
"Go where?" James asked trying to sound innocent.  
  
"Don't try to fool me, James. You've been looking in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies for fifteen minutes."  
  
James' face went red, "Was not!"  
  
"Yes, you were, and you still are." answered Lily. "Why don't you and Harry go to a few places on your own while I go get Harry's supplies at the Apothecary? We can meet back at the Leaky Cauldron around one O'clock to get lunch."  
  
"Well… okay, Lily." James said excitedly. "C'mon, Harry!"  
  
James walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies and Harry followed.  
  
"I haven't been in here for over fifteen years!" James exclaimed.  
  
The store had Quidditch books, brooms, balls sets, servicing kits and many other Quidditch related items. James glared at the brooms and noticed the oldest model was the Cleansweep 7.  
  
"Looks like my Cleansweep 5 is a bit older than I thought." James laughed.  
  
Harry smirked, "Looks like my Firebolt is still in style though."  
  
"Show off," James mumbled when he noticed Firebolts were still the best broom.  
  
Harry interested himself in a toy version of a golden snitch while James looked around the shop.  
  
"Well, we better get going, Harry." said James. "before I buy one of these broomsticks."  
  
James made his purchases and walked out the store. Harry followed behind him.  
  
"I heard from your friend Ron that his brother's own a joke shop here in Diagon Alley. So… er- you want to go check it out maybe?" James asked hopefully.  
  
"That would be fun. I've been dying to see it!" replied Harry.  
  
James smiled and they walked to number ninety-three, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. They walked in the door and were greeted by Fred and George Weasley themselves.  
  
"Welcome to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" said Fred.  
  
"I never expected to have the great Prongs himself in my shop. Did you Fred?" asked George.  
  
"Never," Fred agreed. "Or even you, Harry for that matter."  
  
"Can I help you two find anything?" George asked.  
  
"Just looking around," replied James.  
  
Harry looked up at the counter and saw a boy with dreadlocks running the cash register.  
  
"Hey Lee!" said Harry.  
  
"Hiya Harry!" replied Lee Jordan.  
  
"Look at these, Harry! Brillant!" said James pointing to the Skiving Snackboxes. "I wish these two were around in my days at Hogwarts, we would have been great friends."  
  
"Only twelve sickles a box," said Fred. "but since we're friends you can have them for only ten sickles."  
  
James didn't need more persuasion than that. He grabbed three Skiving Snackboxes off the shelf in a hurry. Harry walked around the shop and noticed the twins' newest products.   
  
"These capsules make the person laugh uncontrollably until you say the counter-curse." said Fred as Harry picked up a tiny capsule with a little red button. Harry grabbed a few off the shelf immediately thinking of how much fun these would be to use.  
  
Harry also passed by some of the older pranking items like the Portable Swamps, Canary Creams and Invisible Hats. He also came across many new items.  
  
"A few drops of that in your friends drink and their hair will turn rainbow for a few days." George said as Harry looked at a tiny bottle.  
  
After about an hours of enjoying the creations of the twins, Harry and James paid for their purchases and left with a wave to Fred, George and Lee.  
  
"Amazing!" James said after they left the shop. "If you eat this pastry, you'll turn into a canary for a minute! Er… Harry, don't tell your mother I bought all this stuff, she won't be happy about it."  
  
"I won't tell her unless you tell her I bought all this stuff." said Harry. James and Harry exchanged grins.  
  
"We still have about an hour until we have to meet your mother." said James. "Want to go in here?" he asked pointing to a candy shop.  
  
'Sure!" said Harry happily.  
  
They walked in and saw rows and rows of chocolates, jelly beans, lollypops and more. It was just like Honeydukes. James filled up a few bags of chocolates and candies and went to pay. They left the shop and sat down on a bench in front of it.  
  
"Congratulations on making Gryffindor quidditch caption, son!" James exclaimed proudly.  
  
He handed Harry the candy and a wrapped package. Harry opened the package to find two books- The Best Quidditch Plays of the 21st Century and The Professional Guide to Quidditch Captioning. There was also the toy snitch Harry had been playing with in the store.  
  
"I bought this stuff while you were looking around," said James. "It's not much, but I didn't know what to get you…"  
  
"This is more than enough, dad! I love it!" Harry smiled. "Thank you!"  
  
James ruffled Harry's hair, "We've got to get the Leaky Cauldron now, Harry. It's nearly one O'clock."  
  
Harry and James got up and started walking to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry hid his bag from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes inside his robes. Lily was already there when they arrived.  
  
"Did you boys have fun?" she asked.  
  
"Yes!" exclaimed Harry. "Look what dad bought me!" Harry showed her the quidditch books.  
  
Lily smiled, "Just like your father… anyway, I thought we could go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor before heading home."  
  
They went to get ice cream and headed home.

"So, your birthday is coming up, Harry." James said casuallly after lunch.  
  
"Yup," said Harry unenthusiastically.  
  
"You don't seem very excited.' James frowned.  
  
"Am I suppose to be?"  
  
"Yeah, I think…"  
  
"Oh… sorry, I'll be more enthusiastic about it next time."  
  
James got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where Lily was. He sat down at the table.  
  
"Lily, I'd like a word with you." he said quietly so Harry couldn't hear.  
  
Lily walked over to the table and sat down beside James.  
  
"I'm listening." she said.  
  
"Well… I think we should throw Harry a surprise birthday party for his birthday next Saturday… I mean, he seems really down about his birthday and all. I don't think your sister ever celebrated his birthday."  
  
"That's a great idea, James! He'd love it!" Lily whispered. "But how would we know who to invite?"  
  
"I was thinking we could ask Ron and Hermione, they probably know who his other friends are."  
  
"Good thinking, James. I'll send an owl to them tonight."   
  
James kissed Lily's cheek, "Thanks, honey!" and walked out of the room.

**Please Review!**


	6. Just Like James

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**Jen**: More chapters will be up soon. I already am up to chapter 15 before he even gets to school. I'm working on the typing still. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Eric2:** Thanks for reviewing! Other people are going to be invited to the party. You'll have to wait and see. About the father/son issues; you'll also have to wait and see.  
  
**babyjayy:** Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**minnie-mae:** Yeah, I tried to have chapter 5 out fast. The rest of the chapters I'm sorry to say will take longer to get out. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana:** Aww, I glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Krissy:** Not at all! I love constructive criticism! I think Harry is a bit out of character myself. Same with Lupin. I'm not good at keeping them in character. Ginny won't be in the story much, sorry. I don't plan on any Harry/Ginny in here, so there won't be much Ginny. The story will mainly be the father/son relationship between James and Harry. I'm adding in a little Voldemort war kinda things later though. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**volleypickle16:** Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**yaminy-grint4eva:** Thanks for reviewing! Ron is awesome! I may check yours out in the future. I'm not much of a song-fic person though. I may even go read it later though.  
  
**Shadowrayne**: Glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Sarah:** Whoa... umm... yeah, the chapter is here. I said it would be a bit later than usual. I've been really busy.  
  
**Author's Note:** Yay! Another chapter typed and up. Finally! It would have been up sooner, but I kept changing things. I didn't really like my original draft with crying Harry, so I've gotten rid of and changed a lot of the crying parts. Yeah, I've made another outline for the story. Hogwarts will begin around chapter 15 or so. Chapter updates are going to be a little slower from now on; I haven't wrote anything past chapter 10's beginning.   
  
**Chapter 6: Just Like James**  
  
Harry was no longer sitting on the couch. James walked upstairs to Harry's room and stood by the door. Harry was looking at his bag of prank items from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Harry found what he was looking for- a little capsule. Harry looked up and saw James by the doorway. He immediately shoved the rest of his joke stuff under his pillow. James raised an eyebrow and walked over to Harry's bed.  
  
"…Hi, dad." Harry said in an attempt to sound innocent.  
  
"Hi, Harry," said James looking at Harry cautiously. "just seeing what you were up to."  
  
"I was -er--" Harry pulled a book in front of him. "reading."  
  
Harry pressed the button on the capsule and slipped it into James' robe pocket.  
  
"Well, okay…" said James getting up to leave. He got to the door and suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably.  
  
"What's so funny?" Harry asked innocently.  
  
James looked over at Harry and realised Harry had just pulled a joke on him. James jumped on the bed and pushed Harry down. He ruffled Harry's hair and smiled.  
  
"You-are-too-much-like-me!" he said between laughs.  
  
Lily walked in, "what is…?"  
  
She looked at the two of them and immediately realised what was going on.  
  
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" she yelled. "This is not funny! How dare you play a prank like that on your father!"  
  
Lily said the counter-curse to Harry's joke. James stopped laughing and caught his breath again. Lily frowned at Harry.  
  
"You're grounded for a week! I mean it, Harry! I want you in bed by ten every night! No flying, no owls, no T.V.; I don't even want you to leave this house until next Friday, and you are to stay in your room for the rest of the night! Do you understand me?!" Lily screamed.  
  
"Yes," Harry said coldly. He had never seen his mother so angry.  
  
"Good," said Lily.  
  
She turned around and walked out the room, pulling James with her. "Mini-James," she muttered.  
  
Harry got up and walked to the door, locking it. He didn't want to be bothered. He pulled out a book from his school truck and attempted to interest himself in it. There was a knock on the door and Harry heard the familiar voice of his father.  
  
"Can I come in, Harry?" he asked.  
  
Harry looked up at the door, but didn't answer.  
  
"Are you in there, Harry?" James asked kindly. "I'd like to speak with you."  
  
Harry looked back down at his book and didn't say anything. Harry heard James say, "_Alohomara_!" The door clicked, and James walked in. James looked at his only son and frowned; he hated seeing Harry unhappy.  
  
"Hey, Harry!' James said brightly.  
  
"Hi," Harry said not looking up from his book.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, I thought the joke you pulled earlier was kind of funny." said James hoping to cheer Harry up. Harry smiled. "Unfortunatly, you know how your mom is. She doesn't want you pulling pranks like me, especially on me. She is your mother though, and therfore in charge of punishing you."  
  
"I'm sorry, dad. I just wanted to have a little fun. I wasn't thinking." said Harry.  
  
To Harry's surprise, James smiled.  
  
"It's alright. I would have done the same thing. There's nothing wrong with having some fun every once in awhile." said James.  
  
"So… This is being grounded?" asked Harry staring down at the book on his bed.  
  
James raised his eyebrows at Harry. Had he never been grounded before?  
  
"Haven't you been grounded before?" James asked. 'I got grounded all the time when I was your age!"  
  
"Nothing to ground me from," Harry shrugged. "the Dursley's already took away all my stuff and locked it up. They gave me extra chores sometimes, but they couldn't ground me, because there was never anything left to ground me from. It's not like I had friends in Little Whinging, everyone was terrified of me. Dudley wouldn't let them be my friends."  
  
James looked shocked. "That sounds a lot worse than being grounded to me," he said. "but I guess you can still count this as your first time being grounded. Afterall, it is the first time your mother and I have grounded you. Don't worry about it though, this is all part of life, Harry. You have parents now that set rules you have to obey. You also make mistakes and learn from them as you go. As your father, I'm here to help you learn and today and I welcome you to learn about the world of grounding."  
  
Harry half smiled, "I know, it's just so hard!" he said sadly.  
  
"Lighten up, kid." said James wrapping Harry in a one armed hug. "This is all new to you. You'll get used to it soon; I'm sure of it!"  
  
"Thanks, dad." said Harry. "I think I'm going to go to bed now, I'm kinda tired."  
  
"'Night, Harry!" said James closing Harry's door.  
  
Harry closed his books and set them on his bookshelf. He then got into his bed and fell asleep.  
  
Harry awoke the next morning on his own for the first time since he left the Dursleys. He walked over to the window and looked outside; it was a beautiful day. Defiantly would have been a great day for flying if he wasn't grounded. He looked at the clock and noticed it was 7:30, about time for breakfast. He got back up on his bed and starred at the ceiling. _What do you do when you are grounded from everything?_ Harry thought to himself. _Well, on the plus side, it's already Saturday, so I'm only grounded six more days, thought Harry. grr, what am I thinking? Six days is a long time!  
_  
"I don't like being grounded." Harry muttered to himself.  
  
"You're not suppost to," said a voice in Harry's doorway.  
  
Harry say upright and looked at his doorway. James was standing there smiling at him.  
  
"I have so much I need to teach you, Harry." James laughed. "If being grounded was fun, it wouldn't be a punishment. It's suppost to be boring, so you don't want to get grounded again."  
  
Harry laughed, "I know, I was thinking outloud again."  
  
"Your mother told me to tell you that if you don't come downstairs for breakfast soon, she is going to come up here and force you to eat."  
  
Harry and James exchanged grins. Then, Harry got up and followed his father downstairs. Dumbledore was down there talking to Lily, about the Order Harry assumed. They stopped their conversation when Harry walked in.  
  
"Good morning, Harry." said Lily and Dumbledore.  
  
"Morning mum, morning professor." replied Harry.  
  
Lily set a glass of milk and a huge plate of French toast in front of Harry.  
  
"So, what are you going to do today?" Dumbledore asked Harry.  
  
'Read I guess," shrugged Harry.  
  
Dumbledore gave Harry a puzzled look; Harry immediately stared back down at his French toast.  
  
"He's grounded," Lily said responding to Dumbledore's puzzled look.  
  
Harry turned a shade of scarlet, _Why don't you just tell the whole world?_ Harry thought. Dumbledore looked at Harry disbelievingly.  
  
"Really?' he asked. "It's only been five days!'  
  
"Yes," answered Lily.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Harry surprised. His blue eyes gazing at Harry through his half moon spectacles. Something about Dumbledore's eyes made Harry feel even worse. Guilt rose in his stomach.  
  
"Looks like you've got yourselves a little trouble maker now," Dumbledore chuckled.  
  
Harry sank down in his chair embarrassed. He didn't like his parents and Dumbledore talking about his behavior at home. Harry did seem to have a fairly close relationship with the Headmaster at school, or at least, closer than that of his friends and the Headmaster. He didn't want Dumbledore knowing about his home life also.  
  
"So, what exactly did Harry do anyway?" asked Dumbledore curiously, still watching Harry through his half moon spectacles.  
  
"He thought it would be amusing to use a Tickling Hex Capsule on James yesterday."   
  
Dumbledore, still looking at Harry laughed.  
  
"Sounds like something James would do to me. I would have never expected that from Harry. Maybe, Harry is finally realizing he's a kid still." Dumbledore smiled at Harry.  
  
"It is," said James entering the conversation.  
  
"Exactly," said Lily. "James is starting to have a negative effect on Harry."  
  
"Hey! I heard that!" said James a bit offended.  
  
Harry looked up at his frowning mother and frowned himself.  
  
"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to upset anyone. I just wanted to have a little fun!" said Harry sadly. "Do you still love me, mum?"  
  
"Of course I still love you!" exclaimed Lily. "I'll always love you no matter how many stupid things you end up doing!"  
  
Lily walked over to Harry and gave him and bone crushing hug. Dumbledore smiled to himself and turned to James.  
  
"I'm glad you're still treating Harry like a child. Sometimes I think he forgets he isn't an adult yet. It's good to see him having some fun and not thinking so much about fighting Voldemort and saving people."  
  
James sighed, "I just wish I could have been there for him when he was growing up."  
  
"Well, you can never have that, James, but you _can_ try to enjoy his last childhood years together." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Harry doesn't want me to though, he said so." James whispered to himself, forgetting Dumbledore had fairly good hearing.  
  
"He does want to, James. Trust me. He just is unsure of it sometimes." Dumbledore assured him quietly so Harry wouldn't hear.  
  
Dumbledore winked at James and got up from the table.  
  
"I need to get going now. I'll see you three again soon. Have a good day." Dumbledore said and dissapparated.  
  
Harry finished his French toast and walked upstairs. He grabbed The Professional Guide to Quidditch Captaining off his bookshelf and went back downstairs. He found a comfortable spot on the couch, sat down, and began reading. An hour later, James walked in.  
  
"Having fun?" he asked kindly.  
  
Harry set his book aside and looked up at James, "What do you think?"  
  
"Umm… you look kinda bored…" James said.  
  
"No, I'm having a blast." Harry said sarcastically.  
  
James rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen to find Lily. She was sitting at the table reading the Witch Weekly.  
  
"Lily, I really think we should let him go outside…" James trailed off.  
  
"James!" Lily snapped. "He's grounded!"  
  
"Yeah…" said James. "but don't you think all the other stuff you grounded him from is enough?"  
  
Lily looked deep in thought. "Well, I guess I overdid it a little…" she said.  
  
James looked hopeful, "A little?"  
  
"Alright, tomorrow he can go outside." Lily gave in. "I don't know why you're getting all involved in this though. Harry loves hanging out with you anyway; you're giving him less chances to"  
  
"He hates me," James said bitterly. "something about me trying to take Sirius' place."  
  
"He doesn't hate you, James!" Lily said. "He's just a little confused maybe. He just lost Sirius and doesn't know if he wants another father figure I bet."  
  
"But I'm his _real_ father!" James argued.  
  
"Just give him time." said Lily.  
  
"So… are we planning the party tomorrow?" James whispered, changing the subject.  
  
"Yes. That reminds me, Ron and Hermione sent a list of his friends yesterday. We need to get the invitations out soon."  
  
"We can send them tomorrow." whispered James. "I'm gonna go check on Harry."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes as James left the kitchen. Harry was no longer on the couch when James walked in. _He must be in his room._ James thought. James went up the steps and sure enough, Harry was on his bedroom floor with some parchment and a quill next to him.  
  
James raised an eyebrow, "You aren't sending owls, are you?"  
  
"No," said Harry coldly. "mum grounded me from it, remember? No one said I couldn't write letters though."  
  
James glanced at Harry's letter.  
  
_**Dear Hermione,  
  
I'm grounded right now, so you won't see this letter for a week. I used one of those Tickling Hex Capsules from Fred and George's joke shop on my dad yesterday. Mum wasn't to happy about it. Grounded me for a week. Never seen her so angry before. It's only a week though, I think I'll live. It was well worth it to trick my dad for once! I'm so bored, I think I'm going to break your reading record pretty soon. I'm taking a break from reading a new Quidditch book my dad bought me right now to write this letter. I'm gonna go now, I think my dad is standing behind me reading my letter. No surprise there to me…  
  
Best,   
Harry**_  
  
James turned around pretending her wasn't reading the letter.  
  
"Were you reading that?" Harry asked.  
  
"No," James lied.  
  
"Yes you were, I saw you." said Harry frowning at James. He closed his ink bottle and put the letter in his dresser. "You're lucky that letter didn't have anything personal in it."  
  
"I'm sorry Harry! I know I shouldn't have read it!" James begged.  
  
"It's alright, I'll forgive you this time." Harry said.  
  
"I won't read them again, I promise." said James hoping to get back on Harry's good side.  
  
Lily walked in, "It's time for dinner."  
  
Harry ate dinner and walked back upstairs. He read a few pages of The Professional Guide to Quidditch Captioning and went to bed.  
  
"Get up!" said James.  
  
"I'm sleeping," Harry replied.  
  
James rolled his eyes, "Breakfast is ready."  
  
"Not hungry…" Harry grumbled.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"You should."  
  
"I know you're hungry."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"You're just lazy."  
  
"I'm not lazy!"  
  
"Prove it."  
  
"Fine," Harry said throwing his pillow at James as he got up.  
  
They walked downstairs where Lily was setting a plate of muffins on the table- blueberry and banana nut. Harry ate four muffins and went back upstairs. He grabbed Best Quidditch Plays of the 21st Century off his bookshelf and sat down in the corner of his room to read. Lily walked in about fifteen minutes later.  
  
"Hi, Harry!" she said brightly.  
  
Harry looked up from his book, "Hi, mum."  
  
"It's a nice day outside." Lily said.  
  
_Yeah, rub it in._ thought Harry. "Yeah, it is." He said not even looking up out the window.  
  
"Listen Harry, I think I really overdid it on your grounding…" said Lily.  
  
"Not really, I deserved it." said Harry not looking up from his book. "I mean anyone else would have gotten the same or worse for pulling a prank on their father."  
  
Lily looked down at Harry with pity. _Why does he always say things like that_? She wondered.  
  
"Well, then as part of your 'punishment', I want you to put that book down and go outside."  
  
"Seriously?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"But you said I was grounded from going outside."  
  
"I changed my mind."  
  
"But…"  
  
"No buts, Harry." said Lily firmly. "I want you to go outside and that's an order. If you don't obey me, I guess I could always add another week to your grounding…"  
  
Harry jumped up off the floor in a hurry. He set he book back on his bookshelf and looked at Lily; she was smiling. Harry smiled back.  
  
"I'm trusting you not to leave the house or try to sneak a ride on your broom. Believe me, if you do I'll find out and you'll be grounded the rest of the summer."  
  
"You can trust me!" said Harry quickly.  
  
Harry ran out of the room, down the stairs and out the door.   
  
"What was that? 'I want you to go outside and that's an order!'" James laughed as Lily came back down the stairs. Lily slapped James on the arm playfully.  
  
"Oww!" James joked.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, I didn't want him to get the idea he was ungrounded or anything." Lily said defensively.   
  
"I've never seen him run out the door so fast." James added.  
  
"Well, it's good to see him happier." said Lily. "He was getting to miserable with all those books. Besides, I don't want him reading everything in the house."  
  
"Very true" James agreed. "Anyway, professor Dumbledore should be arriving soon. He wanted to keep an eye on Harry."  
  
"Honestly James! You call _me_ overprotective, and look at _you_! You call Dumbledore over to supervise Harry playing outside! I seriously doubt anything will happen to Harry while he's outside."  
  
"Well, you never know!" said James embarrassed. "And Dumbledore can help plan the party."  
  
There was a 'Crack' and Dumbledore appeared in front of them.  
  
"Thanks for coming, professor!" said James.  
  
"Ahh, it was my pleasure, but I can't stay long. Where is Harry?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"Outside," replied James. "I was hoping you could help me keep an eye on him while we plan the party."  
  
"I thought you said he was grounded yesterday." Dumbledore chuckled in amusement.   
  
"He is," said Lily. "I just thought I overdid it a little… so I made him go outside today."  
  
"We needed him outside so we could plan the party anyway." James added.  
  
"And you want me to 'keep an eye on him'?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Well, yeah…" said James. "If it isn't too much trouble that is."  
  
"Well, I really don't think Harry needs someone spying on him. Not to mention the fact that I'm not a babysitter. But if you really want me to, I guess I'll do it, but I can't stay long." said Dumbledore.  
  
"Thank you so much, professor!" exclaimed James and he and Lily walked upstairs.  
  
Dumbledore looked out the window at Harry. He was lying in the grass staring up at the sky. Daydreaming Dumbledore guessed. Five minutes later, Harry got up and walked to the Quidditch Pitch. He sat down on a bench and starred up at the golden hoops. He immediately looked back down at the ground, determined not to think about how fun a game of Quidditch would be. Several more minutes passed before Harry got off the bench and began walking around the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore smiled to himself; Harry was so much like James. Lily and James finally came back downstairs.  
  
"So, it's settled then, James? I regular house party from noon to four, and James, you're responsible for getting Harry out of the house before the party."  
  
"Okay, that sounds right." said James.  
  
"I'm going to go send the invitations." said Lily walking back up the stairs.  
  
James walked over to Dumbledore and sat down.  
  
"So, how many rules did Harry break while we were gone?" James asked.  
  
"Surprisingly, none yet. He's been admiring that Quidditch pitch for some time now though." said Dumbledore.  
  
James looked out the window, "Looks like he might be more obsessed with Quidditch than I am"  
  
"He could be." Dumbledore agreed. "It surprises me at how much like you he has grown to become. If he starts his own pranking group, I may even get him mixed up with you."  
  
"I just wish he liked me more." James sighed. "It's like he hates me all of the sudden. At first he loved to hang out with me, then he just started shutting me out of his life and trying to avoiding me. I don't even know what I did wrong. Then, even stranger, he'll start loving to hang out with me again. He can't make up his mind or something."  
  
"Just give him time, James. He'll come around. He's just going though a phase. He misses Sirius still and I bet he's afraid to replace him. He may not know what he wants."  
  
"I hope it's just a phase. I want my son back." said James.  
  
"You'll get him back soon enough, just be patient. Let him get his emotions sorted out first."  
  
"I guess I can try." James said.  
  
"I'm sorry, James, but I really must get going now." said Dumbledore checking his watch. "I'll see you again soon. Good luck with Harry." With that, Dumbledore dissapparated.  
  
James walked outside, thinking about what Dumbledore just said. He hoped Harry would make up his mind on his emotions soon. Harry was sitting down on the bench again.  
  
"Hey," said James.  
  
"Hi," Harry replied.  
  
"Are you getting hungry?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"If you wanna come in, I'll make you a sandwich." said James.  
  
Harry shrugged, got up, and followed James into the house. They went into the kitchen and James made Harry a really sloppy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He gave the sandwich to Harry and stared down at the mess covering the counter. Peanut butter and jelly lay smeared everywhere.  
  
"Your mother won't like this mess," said James laughing. He pointed his wand an the counter and said, "_Scorgify_!" making the mess on the counter vanish.  
  
"That's better," said James sitting down at the table. Harry ate his sandwich and got up from the table.  
  
"I'm going to go upstairs," said Harry walking up the steps to his room.

**Reviews are appreciated!   
If anyone can give me any tips to get Harry, Lupin, Dumbledore, ect. back in character, please help. I'd really apprecite it.  
Also, can anyone tell me what AU is? What slash is? I've seen those around and guessed what they were, but now I think I got it all mixed up. I'm pretty new to fanfiction.  
****  
Chapter end note: ** I think this chapter was way out of character for everyone. I'm really sorry about that. I have to admit, Dumbledore is way off and I know it. Harry was having mood swings or something; I purposly added them. Everything will make sense later in the story I hope. feel free to ask me questions though and I'll try to answer them.


	7. The Birthday Surprise

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, charters, ect. are more likly property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**To all my readers:** Thank you for getting me to 58 reviews! I love you all! Last chapter recieved an incrediable 16 reviews!  
  
**yaminy-grint4eva:** Thanks for the slash/AU help! Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**volleypickle16:** Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Eric2:** Thanks for the slash/AU help! -laughs- I don't think Sirius and Harry could 'pop out a few kids' but I know what you mean. Glad you think Harry is pretty much in character. Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**Jen:** Don't know if I'll add more drama or not. I forgot to put abuse in at the beginning... I forgot a lot at the beginning, but I may change it one day. I plan to add more arguements. I plan on making Harry have a lot of like/dislike kind of attitude around James throughout the whole fic. I'm not really sure yet. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**minnie-mae:** Glad you like the story. I'll try really hard to get updates out quick, but I may go work at a fireworks stand (I live in the U.S. Don't know if other countries have them.) for the rest of the month, while means less typing time. I try to make chapters as long as I can too. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**mugglenet27:** I agree, but I didn't think about that last March when I wrote the beginning. For now, we will all assume Lupin knew Lily and James were back since the start of Harry's 5th year, which is why Lupin didn't so much grieving for Sirius either. Thanks for the slash and AU help! Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**lily-potter-2010:** I agree, I do tend to write on the cheesy side. Thanks for reviewing! I'll try to get off my cheesy writing style in the future.  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana:** Thanks for the slash/AU help! I've never been grounded before, so I didn't really know if I was overdoing it. I guess it should have been lighter, but oh well. My orignal story plan had a reason for them not being close. I hope I didn't change it by accident. Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**Shadowrayne:** Dumbledore is OOC for pretty much my whole story. I'll try to get him back in character later. A lot of reviewers said what AU and slash were if you want to check. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**anonomous (again):** More is on the way!   
  
**LylaLou** : Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for telling me what slash was.  
  
**Dreamer:** I completly agree with the tickling thing. As I said to someone else, I wrote those earlier this year. It was one of those sudden idea things at the time. I like writing the mood swings, so I'll probably have more of them. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**JustSomeWeirdo:** umm... I'm 14 and I still act like that sometimes. I'll try to make him more like a normal 16 year old though. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Faith-tse**: Thanks for the help! I'll try that. -gets out stack of Harry Potter books- Maybe I'll do that later... Thanks for the AU help. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Silvercrystal77:** Great idea, and I'd love to use it. I have Harry acting that way for a reason though. I kinda want to stick to my original plan, but I may change it. The problem is, I'll be so tempted to have major out of characterness if I use your idea. Sorry. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Becky:** I've corrected the word Quidditch in my later chapter I think. I was spelling it the way it sounded to me, sorry about that. Do Brittich people really not say those words? I'm not Brittish, so I wouldn't really know. I'm sorry if it is bother you or anyone else I'm using American vocabulary. I'll start trying not to. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Author's Note:** 16 reviews! I'm so happy! I got this chapter out as fast as I could. Sorry for the cliffy. Next chapter you'll find out what he dreamed. You can probably guess what it is. Sorry if this isn't really what a birthday party is like, I've never had a party before.  
Also, after I finished this chapter I began my writing as I go part of the story, so be patient while I try to write the chapters. (I originally had the first 10 chapters, but I changed chapter 8 a lot already while I was typing, which means I have to chage every other chapter to go with it. Sorry!)

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Birthday Surprise**  
  
The week went by very slowly for Harry, even though he was allowed to go outside. Finally, it was Friday. Harry was awakened by James shaking him.  
  
"Get up, Harry!"  
  
Harry groaned, "No."  
  
"Now,"  
  
"I'm sleeping…"  
  
"I see that," James said impatiently. "now get up."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Breakfast is ready."  
  
"I'll eat it later."  
  
"C'mon, Harry. Don't you want to enjoy your first day ungrounded?"  
  
"I am enjoying it… right here in my bed."  
  
"If you don't get up right now, I'm going to come up there and make you."  
  
"You do that."  
  
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you." said James jumping on the bed and pulling out his wand, "_Rictusempra_!"  
  
Harry started laughing uncontrollably. He glared at James.  
  
"Dadddd!" Harry whined. "You're not f-f-funny!"  
  
James smirked, "Yes, I am. Look, even you're laughing."  
  
'Say the c-c-counter curse!"  
  
James looked at Harry and snickered.  
  
"I'll say the counter curse when you get out of bed." James replied.  
  
"I'm-tired!" Harry whined.  
  
"Well, if you aren't going to get up, I'll just get going not. You obviously aren't in need of my services." said James smiling to himself as he got up off the bed. "I'll be in my room if you need me." _5, 4, 3, 2, 1..._ James thought.  
  
"W-w-wait! Come back! I'll g-g-get up!" Harry laughed.  
  
James turned around as Harry pulled back his covers and got out of bed.  
  
"I'm u-up now! Say the c-c-counter curse!"  
  
"I don't know, Harry… you might try to go back to bed after I say it. Come in the hallway first and I'll say it."  
  
"Fine," Harry growled as he walked into the hallway. "now s-s-say the c-c-counter curse or I'll g-get mum!"  
  
James hesitated and muttered the counter curse. Harry stopped laughing and gave James a that-wasn't-funny look.  
  
"That was mean." said Harry.  
  
"Yeah, it was," said James. "but it was still really funny."  
  
"I didn't think it was very funny." Harry said coldly.  
  
"Well, your mother didn't think it was very funny when you did that to me, so now we're even."  
  
Harry considered this and grinned at James. James grinned back.  
  
"C'mon, let's go get breakfast." said James.  
  
Harry followed James into the kitchen. Lily was placing plates of eggs and toast on the table.  
  
"Good morning, Harry!" said Lily as they walked in.  
  
"Morning, mum." said Harry sitting down.  
  
"So, what are you going to do today, Harry?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know yet," Harry shrugged. "maybe I'll ride my Firebolt."  
  
Harry ate his breakfast quickly and ran upstairs to grab his Firebolt. He took out his letter to Hermione and added:  
  
/I'm ungrounded now! I'm sending this with Hedwig in a minute. I hope I see you soon! -Harry/  
  
Harry tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and told her to take it to Hermione. He then grabbed his Firebolt off his shelf and ran down the stairs into the kitchen.  
  
"I'm going for a ride outside, be back later!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Okay, just don't go too far from the house, Harry." said Lily.  
  
Harry walked outside. It was a beautiful day, not as hot as it usually was. Harry mounted his broom, kicked off, and went soaring into the air. He felt the breeze blowing through his hair. He continued to fly around for what must have been hours. He didn't realize this until James came outside though.   
  
"Harry, it's time for lunch."   
  
"Alright," said Harry landing and walking inside.  
  
"Did you have fun?" Lily asked.  
  
"Yes, the weather is perfect today!" said Harry.  
  
Harry quickly devoured a sandwich and headed back up the stairs. He walked into his room and carefully paced his Firebolt on his shelf. He then opened his trunk and took out his copy of Advanced Potion Making. Harry sat down on his bed, opened the book and began reading. Half and hour later James walked in again.  
  
"Are you -er- feeling alright, son?" he asked.  
  
Harry looked up from his book, "Yes, why?"  
  
"Because it's summer vacation and you're sitting on your bed reading your potion's book." James laughed.  
  
"Well, I -er- was just making sure I knew some of this stuff before the year begins, so Snape can't fail me again…" Harry set the book aside.  
  
"You got an O in your potion's exam, I doubt you will fail anyway." said James.  
  
"No, Snape always fails me. He'll find a problem with my work." Harry said.  
  
"Well, he'll be hearing from me about that…"  
  
"No, please don't! That will just make it worse, trust me. Besides, he can't fail me if my potions are perfect and I answer all his questions correctly."  
  
"Well, alright Harry, it's your choice. I'll be downstairs if you change your mind though."  
  
James left the room and Harry picked up his book to continue reading. A few hours later Harry ate dinner and went to bed. He thought about tomorrow. His birthday was tomorrow and he hoped his parents remembered.  
  
The next morning Harry awoke on his own. He looked at the clock and was surprised to find it was already 9:37a.m. he got out of bed and went downstairs to get breakfast.  
  
"Oh, good you're awake!" said Lily setting a bowl of cereal in front of Harry. Then, James walked in.  
  
"Hey Harry." he said. "I was thinking we could do something this morning." James winked at Lily.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Sounds good." said Harry not really caring. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Umm…" started James, he hadn't thought about that. "We could… go for a walk around the neighborhood."  
  
"Well, alright." said Harry. "We can go after I finish breakfast."  
  
Harry finished his breakfast and walked upstairs. He quickly showered and dressed and went downstairs to wait for James. James came in about five minutes later and they left. It was nearly eleven a.m. They circled the entire neighborhood; neither saying much. Finally at 11:50, James pulled out his watch.  
  
"We need to head back now, Harry. I told your mother we'd be back for lunch."  
  
The walk home took nearly twenty minutes. They finally reached the house. Harry opened the door and…  
  
"SURPRISE!!!" yelled a large group of people. "Happy Birthday, Harry!"  
  
Harry looked around the room surprised. He thought his parents had forgotten his birthday! He saw Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George Weasley, Lee Jordan, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Luna Lovegood, Tonks, Remus, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson and to his surprise…  
  
"Oliver?" Harry asked astonished (A/N:Sorry, I love Oliver too much to exclude him!) The girls all looked at Oliver dreamily, except Luna and Hermione.  
  
"Hey Harry! You didn't think I'd forget all about you after I joined Puddlemere, did you? After all you did for Gryffindor those three years."  
  
"Um… I guess not." said Harry, still shocked.  
  
Harry looked around and saw a huge birthday banner, a cake shaped like a Quidditch Pitch (He assumed that had been James' idea), a giant pile of presents, food and his friends.   
  
James saw the look on Harry's face an said, "You didn't think we had forgotten your birthday, did you?"  
  
"Well… It's been fifteen years and all… yeah, I kinda did." said Harry. "But you didn't and I love it! Thank you!"  
  
Harry ran over to talk with Ron and Hermione and the party started. Everyone started eating food, dancing to the Weird Sisters latest hits and talking.  
  
"Hey Ron! Hey Hermione!" Harry said.  
  
"Hey Harry, Happy birthday!" said Hermione giving Harry a hug. Harry blushed.  
  
"Yeah, Happy Birthday, mate!" said Ron.  
  
Harry looked around the room. Katie, Alicia and Angelina were in the corner of the room giggling about something, Ginny was flirting with Dean Thomas and Seamus, Fred, George and Lee were huddled together; probably planning a prank, Tonks and Remus were gathered around the table talking to Lily (Harry would bet five galleons they were chaperoning to make sure nothing bad happens at the party.), Luna had her usual dreamy look as she talked with Neville; They had recently become friends since the Department of Mysteries thing last month. Over by the doorway, Harry saw Oliver talking to James excitedly. Oliver left James and walked over to Harry.  
  
"Your dad says you were made Gryffindor Quidditch captain. Congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks!" said Harry.  
  
Angelina, overhearing Oliver quickly walked over.   
  
"Captain?" Angelina asked. "Looks like the previous two captains should give you some advice."  
  
"First," said Angelina. "Please try to stay out of detention this year or McGonagall will kick you off the captain position right away. Also, try not to get banned again! You know how hard it was to replace you?"   
  
"You were banned?" Oliver asked shocked.  
  
"Last year…" said Harry.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Punched Malfoy, the Slytherin seeker. Umbridge decided to ban me for it. It was really unfair." said Harry.  
  
Angelina continued to lecture Harry about last year while Oliver laughed.  
  
"Angelina, I get the point!" said Harry. "And I actually plan to make an effort to stay out of trouble this year if you were wondering."   
  
"That's good, because even if I'm no longer at Hogwarts, I'd love to see Gryffindor take the Quidditch cup again." said Oliver. Angelina agreed.  
  
"I'll try my best." said Harry walking away to greet Luna who was standing alone.  
  
"Hi, Luna." said Harry.  
  
"Oh, Hi" said Luna dreamily. "Happy Birthday."  
  
"Thanks, Luna." said Harry. "Did you find any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks in Sweden?"  
  
"Oh, no" said Luna disappointedly. "We think we saw one, but couldn't catch it."  
  
Harry was saved from saying anything when Lily walked over.  
  
"C'mon, Harry! You have to open your presents!" exclaimed Lily.   
  
Lily smiled and pulled Harry over to the table. Everyone gathered around while Harry opened the presents. Oliver got him a Quidditch book called Famous Seekers and Moves of the 1900s. Neville bought him a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and some Chocolate Frogs. From Fred, George and Lee, he received a huge bag of items from the twins' joke shop. Luna got Harry a book on Crumple-Horned Snorkacks (Harry wondered where she had gotten it) and the latest issue of the Quibbler. Moody, who fortunately for Harry, couldn't make it, got Harry a book on Wand Safety; everyone including Harry, laughed at that. Hagrid, who also couldn't make it, sent Harry a book on rare and unique magical creatures. Tonks and the rest of the Order chipped in to get Harry a set of books on Auror training. Hermione, being a muggle-born, gave Harry a deck of playing cards, a Frisbee (everyone except Lily, Dean and Seamus gave her questioning looks) and a book on potion brewing.  
  
"Do you… like it?" Hermione asked nervously.  
  
Harry made a note that this is the first time he had heard Hermione nervous before answering, "Yes, I love it!"  
  
"What is it?" asked Ron.  
  
"Muggles like to throw it around and catch it I think. I saw Dudley playing with one once."  
  
Hermione blushed and Harry continued opening his presents. He got an assortment of books, candies and other things from his other friends. It was finally time to receive his parent's present. James handed him a small box and Harry unwrapped it slowly. He took off the lid and inside was a brand new watch with black leather straps and a shiny metal covering; a lot nicer than his old watch. Harry glanced over at James and noticed he was wearing the same watch. Harry was glad James had good taste.  
  
"Thanks mum, dad! I've been needing a new watch since 4th year!"  
  
After the wrapping paper was cleaned up, Remus took Harry aside and handed him a box. Harry looked at him questioningly before opening it up. Inside were pictures of the Marauders during their school years, a golden snitch, a moon pendent, a bottle of shampoo, a stuffed black dog and journals of the Marauders pranks. Harry assumed Peter's things had been removed from the box.  
  
"It's the Marauder's Box," said Remus. "Sirius wanted you to have it. James and I agreed we'd give it to you on your birthday. It has things that represent us all. The pendant is for Moony, the snitch was your dads, the shampoo represented Snape of course."  
  
Harry picked up the black dog, "Padfoot."  
  
"Yeah, Sirius put that in there to represent himself. He also added the pictures and the journals."  
  
Harry flipped through the pictures. There was one on Sirius and James turning Snape's hair pink, one of Remus, Sirius and James sitting in the Gryffindor common room, one of Lily and James on their wedding, another of Remus dragging Sirius and James out of the Great Hall; Snape chasing after them with his wand. Harry laughed.  
  
"Luckily Peter never wanted to be in the pictures…" Remus muttered.  
  
Harry looked up at Remus, "Thanks, I really like it."  
  
Remus smiled, "Just take good care of it, okay?"  
  
Harry nodded and set it carefully on the table. Remus left and walked over to where James, Lee, Fred and George were. Harry went over to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Do you think they know how obvious it is they are going to do something?" Harry asked Ron.  
  
Ron shrugged, "I guess not. I'd watch out if I were you though, Fred and George with Lee and two of the Marauders can't mean anything good."  
  
Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the group of pranksters broke apart and James stood up.  
  
"Time for cake!" he yelled.  
  
Everyone excitedly ran to the table. Ron and Hermione dragged Harry over and pushed into the chair while Lily set and lit sixteen candles on the cake. Remus turned out the lights and everyone began to sing.  
  
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Harry! Happy Birthday to you!"  
  
"To yooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Fred and George finished.  
  
Harry wished he would always have his family and friends and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped and took a slice of cake. Harry's piece was the biggest, chocolate cake with green icing and a golden snitch made of honey on the top.   
  
They all began to eat cake, until suddenly Hermione, Harry and Ron felt cake smack them in the heads. They looked up to see Lee, Fred and George laughing. Then, James and Remus nailed Tonks and Lily with their cake. Suddenly, everyone began tossing cake in the air. Neville tripped and got smothered with the bowl of pudding by Seamus. Soon Alicia, Angelina and Katie joined in by smearing their icing all over Oliver. In return, Oliver poured drinks into their hair.   
  
James and Remus yelled, "Food fight!"  
  
Harry, deciding to join in, threw cookies at Ron. Then, James tossed a slice of pie towards Harry and Hermione. Harry, without thinking moved Hermione out of the pie's path and threw the chips at James. Ginny dodged a slice of cake heading her way from Dean, making it hit Luna. Luna got out of her dreamy state and threw her cake at Ron. Then, the twins tossed the bowl of popcorn into the air, making it cover everyone.   
  
All the party guests were laughing and having a good time. The food fight went on for about twenty minutes, before the food was all gone, and Lily called it to a stop. Remus finished it with smashing a jelly doughnut into James' hair. James laughed and poured his butterbeer on Remus. Lily looked around the room and turned to James.  
  
"You're cleaning this up, James." she said.  
  
James looked around the room for a moment. Everyone was covered in the food and the wall and floors had food splattered everywhere.  
  
"Moony, help me clean this up." said James taking out his wand. Remus followed.  
  
"Scourgify!" yelled James and Remus pointing there wands in various places around the room.   
  
Soon enough, the entire mess was cleaned up and all the party guests were no longer covered in food. Everyone continued dancing for a few minutes. Harry joined Ron and Hermione and discussed plans for next year and Quidditch. Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron and Harry went in depth on the strategies used by players during the match against Ireland and Germany. Oliver and Katie Bell joined them while Hermione went off to talk to Neville. Pretty soon it was 4 o'clock and everyone had to leave, except Remus, Hermione and Ron who were staying later. Harry waved goodbye and thanked everyone for coming as they left. Finally, the last guest flooed out of his house. Harry, Hermione and Ron went to take Harry's gifts upstairs.  
  
"You three go have fun, I'll take this upstairs." said James.  
  
Harry grabbed the Marauder's Box and the Frisbee and left the room. He laid the box on his bed before leading Rom and Hermione outside to use the Frisbee.   
  
"What do we do with it?" asked Ron when they got outside.  
  
"Okay, what you do is toss it like this," said Hermione doing a Frisbee toss example. "then someone else catches it and tosses it back."   
  
"Can't be harder than Quidditch." said Harry. Ron agreed.  
  
Both ended up being wrong. Tossing the Frisbee was so much harder than it looked! Hermione laughed and Ron missed the Frisbee for the 5th time in a row. They continued to play for over an hour, Hermione doing the best on every throw. By the time they finished, Ron and Harry had gotten the hang out it almost. The trio headed up to Harry's room to talk when they got inside.  
  
"So what have you guys been up to lately?" Harry asked.  
  
"I read a new book on jinxes and hexes!" exclaimed Hermione. "It might be useful if you decide to re-form the D.A."  
  
"Yeah, I'll have to ask Dumbledore if we can make the group official this year. Unless we get a real Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."  
  
Ron and Hermione agreed. They continued to talk about their summers until Lily came up and told them it was time for dinner. They walked downstairs and were unsurprised to see James already down there. They had a pepperoni and cheese half and half pizza with Butterbeer for dinner. There was surprisingly a little bit of birthday cake left for dessert too.  
  
"Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley would like you two to floo home before nine." said Lily.  
  
Harry looked at the clock and realized it was almost nine. They finished dinner and Harry lead Ron and Hermione to the fireplace to go home. Lily handed them some floo powder and they stepped into the fireplace.  
  
"Bye Ron, Hermione!" said Harry.  
  
"See ya, Harry!" said Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Owl me!" said Harry.  
  
"We'll try to." said Hermione.  
  
Harry waved goodbye as they threw down the floo powder and yelled, "Number twelve Grimmauld Place!" the fireplace smoked green and they were gone.   
  
Harry picked up the Marauder's Box and went upstairs. He noticed his other gifts had already been put away. He opened the box and took out the Padfoot stuffed animal. He then laid down on his bed and fell asleep, still in his wizard robes. Today's sleep was not dreamless though…

* * *

Please review! And be honest too. If you think the story is the worst thing you've ever read, tell me. If you love it, tell me. If you see any problems, spelling errors, ect.; please point them out so I can fix them. Note: Sorry about spelling, my spell checker wasn't working right.  
Gift note: Yeah, I know he got some pretty stupid birthday presents, but I didn't know what to get him.   
  
kinda important notice: I can't use my Internet Explorer anmore, it keeps messing up and closing and stuff. Quick-edit (My bold, itallic and underlining) will not work on my Mozilla web browser. For now, I will be substituting all the things I think need to be bold or ittalicised.  
Thoughts will not be in 'XXX'  
Letters will be between /XXX/  
Dreams will be between these: [XXX]  



	8. Sirius Sorrow

**Disclaimer**: (I hate putting this thing...) I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are more likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**Shadowrayne**: Thank you!  
  
**volleypickle16**: Thanks for reviewing. I'm working on the writing... and typing... I hate typing.  
  
**Avestia**: Thanks! I planned on doing some Harry/Hermione, but a lot of people really hate that ship. When I wrote the start of this fanfic, the Hermione/Harry was essential to the plot and at the moment it still may be, so the chance of a H/Hr is still pretty good.   
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana**: Yeah, I'm terrible with relationships or it could be the fact I wrote that part at 4 in the morning, but who knows. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Silvercrystal77:** Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Faith-Tse**: The idea wasn't geeky at all! Yeah, I don't like Wormtail either, so I had Moony and Prongs take all his things out of the box before they gave it to Harry. I agree on the sorting hat thing. Peter should be in Slytherin for sure. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**yaminy-grint4eva**: Ahh, don't kill me! -hides- I came up with the food fight while I was typing. Couldn't find the orignal party chapter, because I misplaced my notebook. Made the Marauder box and Frisbee up as well. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**lily-potter2010:** Glad it's getting a little better. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**s.b:** Sorry, I make a lot of typos. Can't catch them all I guess. I only look over the chapter twice before putting it online. It would be cool if this really happened in the real books, but I don't think it will. But you never know! Yeah, I remember the first book with Quirrel. Glad you like the story. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**joey:** -coughs- Harry's parents are alive, because this is slightly an AU. The things I write will never really happen in the series more likely than not. I wrote this pretty much for my own amusement and for others as well that may want to read it. Not sure how long it took. I was writing during spring break and during algebra and health class during the school year... still writing the majority of the story now. The present was pretty lame... but I have a plan for it later in the story that I may stick to. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**mjk306:** Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Dreamer**: You're going to be dissappointed in this dream, sorry. Glad you like the story so far. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Author's Note**: Yay! Another chapter down. I have no clue what will be happening next though. My outline can only help me write so much. Late updates may be happening. Sorry everyone! On a happier note, 13 reviews last chapter! Whoohooo! Thanks so much to all my readers! Yay, I got Internet Explorer working long enough to add my bold/itallics/underlining! Hope it works next chapter... itallics are going to be useful for what I'm typing on my word processor right now.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Sirius Sorrow**  
  
Harry awoke drenched in a cold sweat. He had just relived Sirius' death again in his dreams. He glanced at the clock which read 11:14. He put his hands to his forehead; his scar was burning terribly. Tears began to form in his eyes, but he tried madly to stop them. _'I miss you so much, Sirius! Why did I have to be so stupid? I wish you were still here with me right now. I wouldn't have to suffer these dreams so much if you were.'_ Harry thought. Tears fell down his cheek.   
  
He looked to the corner of his room and noticed a pocket knife laying on his floor. He wondered where it had came from for a moment, but then had a crazy idea pop through his head. For some strange reason, it seemed like such a good idea to him at the moment.   
  
He jumped off the bed and walked to the corner, picking up the knife. He withdrew the blade and without thinking, slashed his right wrist. Blood stared to flow out onto his floor and robes. Then, he picked up the knife with his bleeding hand and slashed his left wrist. More blood continued to flow out; then Harry fell onto his floor unconscious.  
  
----Downstairs----  
  
"James, I'm going to bed now," said Lily.  
  
"Alright, I'll be up soon. I'm just gonna go say goodnight to Harry."  
  
James and Lily walked up the stairs. Lily turned into their bedroom as James opened Harry's door and walked in. The lights were out and Harry wasn't in his bed, so James became very worried. Suddenly, James spotted Harry lying in the corner. He ran over and gasped as he saw Harry was bleeding like mad.   
  
"Oh my God! Lily, come in here right now!" James yelled.  
  
Lily ran in, "James, what is-" she stopped in the middle of her sentence and screamed running over to the bleeding, unconscious Harry. "W-What h-h-happened?!" she shrieked.  
  
"I think he slashed his wrists, Lily. Suicide attempt I suppose." James said quietly. "I walked in and found him like this."  
  
Lily's eyes widened, "Is he still alive?"  
  
"I feel a pulse still, but it's weak." said James. "I need you to apparate him to Hogsmede and take him to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey can help him. If we take him to Saint Mungo's, it may get out to the public, and we can't let that happen. I'll notify the Order. I think he can still make it if you hurry!"  
  
Lily nodded, tears going down her face. She picked up Harry's body and apparated him out of the room.  
  
Harry awoke the next afternoon in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. He looked around the room and saw Lupin, Tonks, Ron, Hermione, Lily, James and even Dumbledore. They all looked as if they hadn't slept yet.  
  
"Wha-what's going on? Why am I here?" Harry asked weakly.  
  
James and Lily jumped out of their chairs. Everyone else turned to look at Harry.  
  
"Thank God you're awake!" exclaimed James hugging Harry.  
  
"Oh Harry! We were so worried!" said Lily.  
  
"What are you talking about? What happened?" Harry asked again.  
  
"You don't remember?" asked Lily.  
  
"No."  
  
"You slashed your wrists last night." said James grimly. "I came in your room and you were lying on the floor unconscious, so we brought you here."  
  
Harry just stared at James as if he were crazy. He didn't remember trying to do any such thing. Then again, he didn't really remember anything from after he woke up from having another Sirius nightmare. At that moment, Madam Pomfrey walked in.  
  
"Why didn't any of you tell me he was awake!" she scolded.  
  
She went to her office and came back carrying a bubbling maroon potion. She handed it to Harry.  
  
"Drink this. It will help you get your blood back." she said firmly.  
  
Harry took a sip of the potion and spit it out all over the floor immediately. He had never tasted anything that bad before. "Sorry!" Harry said apologetically.  
  
Madam Pomfrey took out her wand, pointed it at the floor and said, "_Scourgify_!"  
  
Remus laughed, "C'mon Harry, it can't be much worse than Wolfsbane."  
  
Harry grinned, "Well, I wouldn't know. It _is_ worse than Skele-Gro!"  
  
"You're going to have to drink that whole potion if you even want to think about leaving this hospital wing, Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey said.  
  
Harry frowned and poured the potion down in one big gulp. He felt like he was going to throw up.  
  
"Look, it wasn't so hard." James smirked.  
  
"Easy for you to say." Harry muttered.  
  
Dumbledore got up and said, "James may I have a word with you? Privately?"  
  
James nodded, got up, and followed Dumbledore out into the hallway. They walked into a nearby empty classroom.  
  
"What is it, sir?" James asked.  
  
"Harry." he said. "Has he been acting... different lately?"  
  
"Other than having some major mood swings? No." said James.  
  
"You're sure?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes." said James.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, "This is so unlike Harry."  
  
James agreed.  
  
There was silence for a moment before Dumbledore said, "There is defiantly something bothering Harry, and until we find out what it is, I suggest you keep a good watch on him."  
  
James nodded, "I'll try my hardest."  
  
Dumbledore looked deep in thought for a moment. "Have you thought about my offer last month yet?"  
  
"Yes," said James. "and I'll gladly accept it."  
  
They walked back into the room. Tonks was busy entertaining the room with different hair styles.   
  
"Umm... Can I talk to Harry alone?" James asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course!" said Tonks leaving.   
  
The rest of the visitors left and James sat down in the chair beside Harry's bed. Both were silent for a moment. Harry wasn't sure if James was angry at him, disappointed in him or just mad at himself for not finding Harry sooner. Finally James spoke.  
  
"Why?" James asked simply.  
  
Harry just looked at him for a moment. He was pretty confused himself.  
  
"Why did you do it, Harry?" James asked again. "Was it something I did?"  
  
Harry looked at him a moment, thinking about the question. "I-I don't know."  
  
"Do you remember anything?" James asked.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Just waking up from another nightmare. Then I woke up and I was here."  
  
"What did you dream?" James asked, thinking it may have something to do with why Harry had attempted suicide.  
  
"Sirius' death." Harry whispered.  
  
James buried his head in his hands and sighed, "I should have known."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm a terrible parent! I didn't even thing about the fact that you may still be grieving Sirius' death."  
  
"I am not 'Grieving Sirius' death'! I don't even remember doing that last night! Listen carefully, because I'm not going to say this again, okay? You're NOT a bad parent. Just because you aren't always there doesn't make you terrible. Being there always just makes you annoying, so deal with it. You can't be there for me every time I do something, so don't try so hard to."  
  
James looked a bit taken aback, "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble then?"  
  
"I couldn't keep that promise. Trouble _always_ finds _me_."  
  
"Promise me you'll try to then?"  
  
"I could try I suppose." said Harry.  
  
"Good enough I guess." replied James.  
  
There was a long silence.   
  
"So... umm... Do you want something to eat?" James asked.  
  
"Not hungry." said Harry.  
  
"Are you sure? Madam Pomfrey is going to make you eat something anyway you know. It wont be anything good."  
  
"Fine," said Harry giving in.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I don't really care."  
  
"Alright," said James. "I'll pick then."  
  
James left the room and came back a few minutes later. He set down a tray with chicken noodle soup and a roll next to Harry.  
  
"I'm a vegetarian you know." said Harry.  
  
"No, you aren't. You just ate meat the other day."   
  
"I was seeing how gullible you were." said Harry. "Guess you aren't easy to lie to. I'll keep that in mind for the future maybe."  
  
"No, you're just a bad liar." said James.  
  
"Whatever," said Harry looking at the soup. "I'm really not hungry."  
  
Madam Pomfrey walked in the check on them. She smiled approvingly at Harry and James.  
  
"Good, you're eating. I was about to get you another potion, but I guess you wont need it." she said. "Everything feel okay?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry.  
  
"Just let me know if you feel any pain." she said leaving the room.  
  
Harry, not wanting Madam Pomfrey to get him another maroon potion, ate his soup. Halfway through his soup, he decided to convince James to leave.  
  
"I know you're hungry." said Harry. "You should go eat something."  
  
"You're sure you'll be okay for a few minutes?" James asked.  
  
"Yes, I'll be fine." said Harry.  
  
"Okay, but only for a few minutes." James said partly to himself.  
  
Harry finished his soup a little after James left and set it aside. He suddenly felt very exhausted and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

Very short chapter. I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Lame dream as well. So sorry about last chapter's cliffy! This whole chapter will make more sense after you read the next chapter, which I hope to have up very soon. Chapter 10 however... it's going to take a bit for me to write it. I just got into fanart as well... so I'm going to have to fit this in with my fanart obsession. At the same time though, I've given up Neopets, so I'll have more time for this. Let's just say I'll get this fic updated as soon as I can.  
  
Okay, I don't think British people say words like 'Whatever' but just work with me there... I'm not British. Also, sorry if anyone is offended by the vegetarian comment.   
  
Semi-important question: Will anyone kill me, quit reading this fanfic, lose their mind, ect. if I put a small Harry/Hermione relationship in here? I'm a little curious... I originally planned it as part of the plot and really don't want to change it.

Please review and if you have any questions or notice any problems with anything let me know. Thanks!


	9. Nightmares

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**Dreamer**: I know how you feel. I love reading fanfiction and now I'm kind of mad at myself for writing one, because it takes a lot of my time. They are fun to write though. Hope you enjoy this chapter. You'll find out why the cutting occured. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**hye em yes**: -grumbles- Should have combined chapters 8 and 9... Yes, cutting is out of character for Harry. Please keep reading though, because it's not what you think. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Faith-Tse**: Don't worry, I don't like writing romance, so it will be very slight if there is any. I'm assuming OC is original character? I might make the first years and replace some Quidditch positions with original characters, but you won't see them too much. I wanted to put my close friends in the story too. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**The Vampire Story Hunter**: Whoa! Umm... I have the feeling you really hate my story? I completly respect your opnion. Can you please not curse in the reviews though? I don't like cuss words and this story is rated PG. Some younger audiences could be reading the reviews. Like I said, I don't mind flames. If you really mean what you are saying, that's cool. I'll try to improve the story, but I'm not the best writer. "sigh I never knew someone could be as STUPID! AS YOU! He accepted them WAY! To fast. I'm sorry but. that's. just. NOT "NORMAL"!" Dude, in my point of view he would accept them really fast. I agree, I can be pretty stupid, but that is beside the point. I like Harry being "soft" and he will probably change anyway. I always thought boys could scream, I'm sorry if they can't. The flame for the Diagon Alley chapter, I completly agree with you on. Why wern't people like, "oh my god, it's the Potters!"? I have no clue... must have been out of it when I wrote that chapter. If you want to flame, go right ahead, but please try not to cuss in them. It's quite disturbing. And if you are ony flaming to try to make me mad, go right ahead because I find flames amusing actually. Anyway, thanks for the flames/reviews! They encourged me to try and write the story better.  
  
**Silvercrystal77**: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you didn't get the wrong impression from chapter 8.   
  
**volleypickle16:** Thanks! I just caught up on your fanfic.   
  
**yaminy-grint4eva**: Hermione/Draco? hmm... it is fun to read those, but i need Harry to be with someone for my story and I just don't want to write Ginny's dialog. Still trying to get a chance to read your stories. I've started some of them. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana**: Thanks for reviewing1 Glad it's improving a bit.  
  
**Eric2**: Wow, I didn't even think about that being symbolism. I guess it was. Wow, read this chapter. Only one other person guessed that. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**kenshin-chan345**: Should have combined these chapters... Read on, it's not what you think. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Serena**: More is comming. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Krissy**: I didn't like chapter 8 at all myself. I'm not sure if I'll even add the Harry/Hermione though. I think I could just make them closer friends and the plot would still work out fine. I wanted to hook Ron up with someone, but most people are Ron/Hermuione shippers, so if I had Ron with Luna or something, I see myself losing a lot of readers. Hope you continue to read my fanfic. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Author's Note**: Whoo! Another chapter down. I'd like to deticate this chapter to Lizzy and Eric2 for using the clues to guess why Harry was cutting. Good job to both of you! I know what I'm write for chapter 10, but when I get around to typing it is another thing. I also have writer's block where I left off on chapter 10 I hope to get out of my writer's block soon. Also, I kinda found my Zelda game and have been getting really into it... Hopefully it won't take up all my time. Looks like some people won't like it if I add H/Hr. I have been going over my notes and I may be able to keep them as just friends for my plot. If I do add the relationship, it won't be all heated with kissing and making out and stuff. They will just hang out a little more most likely.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Nightmares** **  
**

__

_He was in a dark room, lit only by a few red torches. Two men stood there in black robes. One was tall and had a white snake-like face and red eyes. The other was shorter with a silver hand.  
  
"Wormtail!" he snapped.  
  
"Y-yes m-m-master." stuttered Wormtail.  
  
"Why is Potter still alive? It's bad enough you let Lily and James come back! Why aren't the three of them dead? You said he'd be committing suicide!"  
  
"I'm s-s-sorry m-master. He was s-s-suppost to. J-James s-s-saved him. I didn't know James was s-s-so overp-protective!"  
  
"You will pay for this mistake, Wormtail!" said Voldemort raising his wand, "Crucio!"  
  
Peter fell to the ground and began screaming in pain. Voldemort laughed. He finally lifted the curse.  
  
"I'll give you one more chance, Wormtail. Bring me Harry Potter! Kill Lily and James again if you have to. No mistakes this time, or I will be killing you personally!"  
  
Wormtail bowed, "Y-yes, m-master. T-t-thank-you."  
  
He transformed into a rat and ran out of the dark room.  
  
"I'll be in charge of the wizarding world again soon!" Voldemort laughed. _

__

"Harry! Harry wake up!"  
  
"Wake up, son!"  
  
Harry awoke being shaken by his parents. Harry realized he was screaming and quickly stopped. He was covered in sweat and his scar was burning again.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry? Are you okay?" Lily asked worriedly.  
  
"Wormtail…" said Harry.  
  
James looked at Harry questioningly, "What?"  
  
"_He_ made me slash my wrists. I was being possessed by Voldemort… it was_ his_ plan!"  
  
"Harry, that's impossible." said James. "Peter couldn't possess anyone if he tried."  
  
"But Voldemort can! He did it last year. He did it again. He wants all of us dead."  
  
"How do you know?" Lily asked.  
  
"I just saw it!"  
  
"How do you know it wasn't just a dream though?"  
  
"My scar is burning, and it doesn't burn during regular dreams. I know what I just saw really happened!"  
  
"What did you see?" James finally asked.  
  
Harry proceeded to tell them all the details of his dream. Lily gasped as he finished and wrapped Harry into a hug.  
  
"Would he really kill his friends?" James wondered out loud.  
  
"He betrayed you guys before, remember?" Harry said quietly.  
  
James knocked everything off a nearby table with his arm. Little glass objects and dishes fell to the ground and shattered.  
  
"James!" Lily snapped. James ignored her.  
  
"I remember… Peter is the reason I missed fifteen years of my son's life! The reason Padfoot suffered twelve years of Azkaban! The reason Sirius died known as a murderer and a betrayer! He's the reason you didn't know about the wizarding world until you got your Hogwarts letter. After you had grown up your whole life being abused! He's the reason you never got to live with Sirius, why Lily and I died that night! I'll never forget what Peter did!"  
  
"Sorry," Harry muttered.  
  
"The only person that should be sorry is that bloody scum called Wormtail! I'm can't believe I ever hung out with him! He doesn't deserve the Marauder title! I never should have taught him animagi! If he couldn't transform, Sirius wouldn't have went to Azkaban. You would have lived with him. Everything would have been so much different!"  
  
Lily took out her wand and cleaned up the glass shards. She walked over to James and put her arms around him.  
  
"Calm down, James. Yelling isn't going to change anything." She said kissing James on the lips. They held the kissing for a few minutes.  
  
They broke away and looked over to see Harry already back asleep. They went to the bed beside Harry's and wrapped their arms around each other, kissing passionately.  
  
Harry awoke the next morning and looked to his right. His mom was laying on top of James, her head in his chest. James arms were wrapped around her. Harry laughed to himself and began looking at a muggle literature book that was sitting on the nightstand. Lily woke up a few minutes later. She got out of James' grip and stretched. She glanced at Harry and turned a light shade of red.   
  
"Good morning," she said.  
  
"'Morning." said Harry.  
  
"I'm really sorry Harry, but I have to go to Headquarters to help with the Order today." Lily said sadly.  
  
"That's alright." said Harry turning to James. "Is _he_ staying?"  
  
"He wouldn't leave unless Madam Pomfrey kicked him out." laughed Lily.  
  
"I wonder where Madam Pomfrey is then…" Harry muttered.  
  
"Harry, that's not very nice. You know how much he loves you. All he talks about is you everyday."  
  
"I wish he wouldn't."  
  
"You don't mean that." said Lily.  
  
"Yes, I do. He never leaves me alone."  
  
"Well… I can't argue with you on that. Anyway, I have to go now. See you tomorrow." she said walking out of the room.  
  
Harry went back to reading the literature book only to be disturbed ten minutes later by James waking up. He yawned.  
  
"Where's your mum?" he asked Harry.  
  
"Had to go out, something with the Order." said Harry not looking up.  
  
"Guess it's just you and me then." said James.  
  
"uh-huh," muttered Harry.  
  
There was a long silence. James finally broke it.  
  
"Er… I'm going to go get some breakfast. Want anything particular?"  
  
"Not really," said Harry.  
  
James left and returned a few minutes later carrying two trays of pancakes. He handed one to Harry who just set it aside. James began eating his pancakes. He glanced over to Harry.  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, "Not right now,"  
  
They both sat in silence for a few minutes again. James finished his pancakes and got up to set the tray aside. He turned back to Harry.  
  
"Want to play chess?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing better to do." Harry shrugged.  
  
James conjured a chess board and placed it on Harry's bed.  
  
"Normally I'd play on a table… but Madam Pomfrey won't let you get out of bed yet, so we can't"  
  
Harry let out a loud sigh, "As if it really makes a difference whether or not I'm in bed."  
  
"Well, unfortunately for you and me, we have to follow Madam Pomfrey's orders. Maybe you can come home tomorrow though." James said brightly.  
  
"Yeah, maybe." said Harry setting up his chess pieces.  
  
They spent the majority of the morning playing chess. James won the first two games and Harry won the third. James kept insisting Harry won, because he was good, but Harry knew James had let him win out of sympathy.  
  
"You let me win," said Harry dryly.  
  
"Did not! You beat me." James denied.  
  
"Then you are terrible," Harry said. "because I always lose to Ron when we play."  
  
They cleared up the chess board and had lunch. As they were cleaning up from lunch, Hermione came in. James said, "_Scourgify_!" and left the room so they could be alone.  
  
"Hey, Harry! How are you feeling?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Hi, Hermione! I'm good. Can't wait to go home though." Harry replied.  
  
Hermione laughed and sat on the bed next to Harry. Their eyes locked for a moment and Harry felt an odd sensation. He, however, had no idea what it meant. Hermione looked away after a moment.  
  
"Where's Ron?" Harry finally asked.  
  
"Oh! He didn't tell you yet?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No,"  
  
"I can't believe he didn't tell you yet!" exclaimed Hermione. _'Yeah, rub it in'_ Harry thought. "Percy apologized to the family today and they all went out to eat together. They haven't completely forgiven him yet of course though."  
  
"That's great that he apologized!" Harry said.  
  
"That's what I told Ron," Hermione sighed. "but he was a bit upset by it all. He said 'Percy's still a huge git.' He won't forgive Percy."  
  
"I'm sure he'll come around soon. He just isn't used to having Percy around again yet." said Harry.  
  
"Yeah, you're right." said Hermione.  
  
Harry and Hermione continued to talk until around six, and it was time for dinner. James came back in about five minutes after Hermione left.  
  
"I've got good news, Harry!" James exclaimed.  
  
"Well, tell me!" Harry urged.  
  
"I talked to Madam Pomfrey," started James.  
  
"And…?" Harry asked.  
  
"You are so impatient!" James joked. "I talked to Madam Pomfrey ad she said you could come home tomorrow if Lily and I promise to keep you in bed."  
  
Harry forced a smile, "Well, I'll be back in my own bed at least…"  
  
James smiled and proceeded to tell Harry about how much fun they could have together. James continued to talk until Harry drifted off to sleep.  
  
Harry awoke the next morning no longer in his hospital bed. He looked around and noticed he was back in his own bedroom. Harry took notice that his room had been cleaned while he was gone. There was no blood anywhere.   
  
"What the heck…" Harry muttered looking around the room.  
  
James, who had been walking down the hallway, stopped and walked into Harry's room. He smiled at Harry.  
  
"Good, you're awake." he said. "Your mum wants to know what you'd like for breakfast."  
  
"I don't care, surprise me." said Harry still looking around the room confused. He paused for a moment before asking, "How did I get here? I was in the Hospital Wing last night."  
  
James smiled, "You were. We brought you home this morning. We didn't want to wake you. You are a heavy sleeper I guess."  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Well, I'm going to go get you some breakfast, Harry." said James.  
  
He walked out of the room and down the stairs. James returned ten minutes later carrying a silver tray. Harry sat up and James placed the tray on his lap. On the tray was toast, an orange, pancakes and a glass of milk.   
  
"Thanks," Harry mumbled.  
  
Harry finished his breakfast and grabbed his potion's book on his dresser. He had left it there before he went to the hospital luckily. The stuffed Padfoot was also on his bed. He set it on his lap and began reading.   
  
An hour and a half later Harry looked up from his book. James was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room reading the issue of the Quibbler Luna had given Harry. Harry set his book aside and turned to James.  
  
"You don't have to stay here all day." Harry said bitterly.  
  
"I know, but I want to." James replied.  
  
"No, you just want to make sure I don't do anything stupid. I don't get possessed everyday you know."   
  
"I'm am not watching you, and I know you don't get possessed often!"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes impatiently, "You know I'm right. Knives and razors are all locked up anyway."  
  
James raised an eyebrow, "You looked for them?"  
  
"No, I used common sense. If mum didn't hide them, she'd have to be crazy. Even if I was being possessed when I slit my wrists…"  
  
James nodded in agreement and got up.  
  
"Fine, you win. I'm going to go see if your mum needs any help. Call me if you need anything."  
  
James left and Harry grinned to himself. Finally, some time to himself. He picked up his potion's book off the side of the bed and continued to read.

* * *

Well, it's a bit short again. I should have conbined chapter 8 and 9 I think. For those who have not caught on yet, Harry was being posessed when he slashed his wrists. I don't think I wrote it very clearly in chapter 8. He didn't remember anything in chapter 8, because when Ginny was posessed in CoS she didn't remember either.  
I changed a lot in this chapter. It started out as being all crying stuff, but I changed it to anger. I was trying to show James' anger, but I don't think it came out very good. Anyway, I checked my outline and Harry will be starting school in just a few more chapters. (Yay!) I don't know how many chapters this fanfic will end up being or when I'll finish it. School starts in August, so updating will be pretty hard. More homework in highschool I bet...   
Please review! Honest opinions appreciated. -Michelle- 


	10. Missing

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Review Responces:  
  
**volleypickle16**: Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it.  
  
**Jen**: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Shadowrayne**: I think the movies just make Ron/Hermione seem like the only possibility. I don't agree with Ron/Hermione, because I'm a Ron/Luna fan. Harry/Luna is kinda cool too though. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**yaminy-grint4eva**: Nooooo! I'm gonna be a freshman taking 4 advanced classes. My readers arn't going to like that... I reviewed the story with melinda in it. I really like that one. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Dreamer**: It's good that it's making more sense now. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**MuGgLeNeT27**: Yay, an honest opinion! I understand where you're coming from. I don't read Ron/Hermione usually, because it's just not a ship I like. I don't know if I'll even have to do the Harry/Hemione anymore though. I came up with some alternate scenes for it in my head. Not sure what I'm going to do yet though. A lot of people seem a bit angry with the tension I think. I'm sorry to say, it's going to stay though. If you don't want to read because of that, I'll understand. Chapter 11 will tell you why Harry is acting that way though. You may want to at least take a look at it when I get it up... whenever that will be. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Eric2**: Actually, James was suppose to be angry with himself about Wormtail. Guess I didn't do that very well. I always break stuff when I'm mad, so all the characters will be doing the same. James is a bit depressed also though. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**Krissy**: Well, the Harry/Hermione thing is not for sure yet. I just keep changing my mind... It won't be all smooching in the hallways and stuff though if I put it. Ah, another reader with a comment on the Harry/James tension. I'll explain it all in chapter 11. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Silvercrystal77**: Thank you for reviewing!   
  
**Faith-Tse**: Well, that emphasis on soon didn't really work, sorry. Thnaks for the review! (and the hugs and cookies) How does Wormtail play a part? Hmm... Well, umm... Wormtail gave Voldemort information... and umm... put the knife on the floor and stuff. He knows where Godric's Hollow is of course. Harry was asleep when Peter snuck in... The wards and stuff set up don't work while he's a rat. Umm... this made more sense to me when I was telling it to myself... Just work with me there. Thanks for reviewing! Maybe I can give you a better explanation another time for the posessing.  
  
**Longing**: Yes! A fellow Ron/Luna shipper at last. I'm sure you could write a really nice story if you spent enough time on it. Thanks for the review!  
  
**MarijeLupin**: Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**lily-potter2010**: Yay! First year is hardest... dang. Hope I have free time for all my wonderful readers still. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana**: Long pen name... think I'm gonna copy and paste that from now on... More is comming!   
  
**hye em yes**: Yay, not as upsetting! How long that will last, I have no clue... Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**sumrandumperson**: Er... I will miss you if you stop reading... Harry doesn't like James much for a few reasons. You'll know them in chapter 11 if you do continue to read.  
  
**yache**: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you are enjoying it.  
  
**born2driveat16 and Steph2010**: (You're both the same person, right?) I love the PoV idea! I think I'm going to do something very similar to that as chapter 11. I'll be sure to deticate it to you of course. :) Wow, another person asking about the hate thing... Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Tanya J Potter**: Wow... you too... Harry and James dislike will be going on for a bit. At least check out chapter 11 before you quit reading though... if you were gonna quit because of that. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Katrina**: Harry and James getting along won't be happening for awhile... about Sirius comming back... -tears- not in this story. I'm sorry, but there will be no Sirius in this fanfic. It would just make the story too perfect.   
  
**SnapeLuver666**: Yay! I feel very special. Good job on guessing correctly. Yeah, I am quite new to fanfiction. Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**To all readers**: My most asked question! Why does Harry hate James? Thanks to the suggestion of Steph2010, I will be making a chapter 11 with that answer. Hopefully I will get it typed up soon. Sorry if I missed someone's review... please let me know if I forgot to respond to your review. There were so many to look through.  
  
**Author's Note**: Well, that took me forever to type. I wasn't home much all week. Gone on a trip and stuff, but I'm back now. School starts in a month. I might do Color Guard still... For my readers, that means I won't be home much. At the moment, I don't think I'm joining, but I'm not really sure.   
  
**Chapter 10: Missing**  
  
The week passed by slowly for Harry, despite James' attempts to entertain him. Finally, Sunday came. Harry, eager to get out of bed, ran down the stairs after he woke up. James and Lily were sitting at the table staring at the front page of the Daily Prophet, grim expressions on both of their faces. Harry sat down beside them.   
  
"'Morning. What are you reading?" he asked.  
  
Lily moved the paper away quickly, "Nothing."  
  
"Lily, he has a right to know." James sighed. "He'll find out soon enough anyway. Everyone will be talking about it. Let him read it."  
  
Lily frowned disapprovingly at James and handed Harry the paper.   
  
"There was a break-in at Azkaban." she said.  
  
**-Break-in at Azkaban-  
  
Last night several cells of Azkaban were broken into. This makes the third escape since the infamous Sirius Black escaped three years ago. Black, said to be a spy for the Dark Lord, most likely aided once again in the break-out of these known high security prisoners. Escapees include known Death Eaters Malfoy, Nott, Macnair, Dolohov, Crabbe, Goyle, Avery, Mulcuiber, and Black's relatives the Lestranges. The Dementors guarding the prison are also reported as missing.  
  
In a brief interview with headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore last night, he said, "There is no doubt the Dementors have allied with (You-Know-Who). (You-Know-Who) has risen again and the second war against the wizarding world has begun."  
  
Aurors have abandoned their search for spy/murderer Sirius Black, and are now searching for the Death Eaters. Families are advised to use extra caution and practice basic safety during this time of fear.**  
  
Harry threw the paper down angrily.   
  
"How dare they insult Sirius like that!? He was innocent!" Harry yelled.  
  
Harry knocked over all the chairs at the table and threw a vase on the floor, making it shatter. He was proceeding to break the dishes too. Lily gasped. James grabbed Harry and restrained him with his hands.   
  
"Harry, calm down!" said James. "There is nothing we can do about what the reporters stories, and I assure you nothing will change if you destroy the kitchen."  
  
Harry took a few deep breaths and began breathing regularly again. James released Harry from his arms.  
  
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly as he walked out of the room and into the living room.   
  
Lily took out her wand and said, "_Scourgify_!" making the glass shards vanish from the floor.   
  
A few minutes later James decided to go check on Harry. He walked into the living room only to find it empty. James ran upstairs and checked every room. He finally got to Harry's room. Harry was missing!  
  
"Lily!" James yelled as he ran down the stairs.  
  
Lily poked her head out of the kitchen and turned to James, an annoyed expression on her face, "What?"  
  
James took a deep breath, "Harry's missing!"  
  
Lily dropped the plate she was holding and it shattered on the ground. She ran to James and he put his arms around her comfortingly. She broke away.  
  
"We've got to find him! He can't have gone far! Are you sure he isn't in the house?"  
  
"Yes, I checked everywhere." said James.  
  
Lily shrieked, "What if the Death Eaters got him! I'll contact the Order, they can help find him."  
  
James nodded in approval. He sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands. _'How could Harry be so stupid? The Death Eaters just escaped and are looking for him.'_ James thought. Lily came back in, her face tear-stained.  
  
"Fred, George, Tonks and Professor Mcgonagall are checking Hogwarts; Hagrid, Arthur and Alastor are checking Hogsmede; Dumbledore, Kingsley and Snape are looking in Diagon Alley; Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Molly are stationed at the burrow in case Harry stops there; we are scheduled to stay here in case Harry comes back home; Remus is staying at Headquarters in case something comes up and others are stationed are various places." Lily informed James.  
  
She sat beside James on the couch and began to cry. James wrapped his arms her, letting her cry into his robes. He rubbed her back soothingly to calm her.   
  
"It will be okay, Lily. We will find him. He'll be okay." James said reassuringly.  
  
"I hope so." said Lily.  
  
At Hogwarts  
  
"Let's split up. This castle is huge." said McGonagall. "Tonks, check the outdoors and the ground floors. Fred, George, check the first two floors, and rumor has it you two know all the secret passages- check them. I'll check the remainder of the castle. Let's hope we find Mr. Potter soon."  
  
Tonks proceeded to walk outside. Fred and George went up the steps to the next floor while McGonagall ran up the stairs to the third floor.  
  
"Let's check the secret passageways first." said Fred. George followed.  
  
At Hogsmede  
  
"Hagrid, check the Three Broomsticks and the Hogshead. Alastor, check the Shrieking Shack and anywhere you can with your eye. I'll check the remainder of the shops." said Mr. Weasley.  
  
Hagrid and Moody nodded in agreement and set off to go look for Harry.  
  
"Please let him be alright." Mr. Weasley said to himself.  
  
At Diagon Alley  
  
"I told you that little brat was just like James. Neither seem to pay much attention to rules. Both think they are too good to follow the rules." Snape sneered. "Why are we wasting out time looking for him anyway?"  
  
"I told you before, Severus. Now we need to start looking." said Dumbledore. "Severus check Knockturn Alley. Kingsley, look around the Leaky Cauldron. I'll take the rest of Diagon Alley."  
  
Kingsley and finally Snape nodded. They all set off in different directions to search for Harry and his messy jet black hair.  
  
At the Burrow  
  
Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in the yard miserably, all hoping for a sign of Harry. Mrs. Weasley came out to join them.  
  
"Any sign of Harry?" she asked knowing the answer.  
  
"No," said Hermione. Ron and Ginny just shook their heads as if they could no longer speak. They were so worried about Harry.  
  
They all sat silently on the ground waiting eagerly for news on Harry's whereabouts.  
  
At Headquarters: 8 hours later  
  
Remus walked down the hallway past the door of Sirius' old room. He stopped when he realized the door was ajar. A figure was moving inside. He moved in to get a closer look. It was Harry!  
  
"Harry?" asked Remus quietly.  
  
Harry dropped what he was holding and looked up at Remus' amber eyes. His own eyes were filled with shock. He backed into the corner slowly as Remus walked into the room.  
  
Remus ran a hand through his graying hair. Why was Harry moving away from him? Remus wished he could have found Harry in another room. He hated being in Sirius' old room.   
  
"You saw this morning's Daily Prophet, didn't you?" Remus asked.  
  
Harry nodded as he looked through a box of Sirius' old things.  
  
"Harry… Come here." said Remus.  
  
Harry looked up, "Why?"  
  
"Because," Remus thought for a moment. "You can't stay here. You need to go home. Everyone is so worried about you."  
  
"I can't, Professor Lupin. I- I don't want to go back."  
  
"Harry, first off, I'm not your teacher anymore, so you can call me Remus. Second, I think you do want to go home. You're just afraid."  
  
There was silence for a moment.  
  
"I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?" Harry asked.  
  
"I hate to admit it, but knowing James and Lily as I do, I'd say you are."  
  
"I might as well get it over with then."  
  
Remus nodded in approval.  
  
"You wait here while I inform everyone you're okay."  
  
Remus left the room and Harry sat down on Sirius' bed. He buried his head in his hands. What had he gotten himself into? He knew his parents were going to be furious.  
  
A few minutes later, Harry heard two cracks from downstairs. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, gradually getting louder. The door busted open and Lily and an angry James walked in.   
  
"Harry!" Lily screamed running over and wrapping her arms around him. "I was so worried!" She suddenly became stern. "What _were_ you thinking?"  
  
Harry didn't answer. He gulped as James slowly made his way towards him.  
  
"How much trouble am I in?" Harry asked nervously.  
  
James looked down at Harry, anger filling his face. Harry winced as James grabbed his wrist an yanked him up. He began dragging Harry out the door.  
  
"We'll talk about that when we get home." said James dragging Harry farther.  
  
Harry had never experienced James this angry before in his life. He had never really even seen James angry. It was beginning to remind Harry of his purple-faced uncle. Remus gave Harry a pitying look as James dragged him into the fireplace. Lily grabbed the Floo Powder.  
  
"Thank you for finding him, Remus." she said. She threw down the Floo Powder and yelled, "Potter house, Godric's Hollow!"  
  
The flames spun around quickly and turned green. Harry soon found himself colliding face first onto the floor of his living room. James jerked Harry up by his wrist again before letting go. Harry rubbed his sore wrist to help return normal circulation. He glanced quickly up at James' angry face and immediately looked back down.   
  
James began pacing around the room. The moment Harry had been dreading had arrived. He looked down at the ground, hoping this wouldn't be as bad as he imagined.  
  
"What were you thinking, Harry?" James yelled. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? The entire Order was out looking for you! How stupid can you be? Running off while the Death Eaters are loose and would give anything to kill you! You could have died today!"  
  
James stopped and looked at Harry who was still looking down at the ground.  
  
"Will you at least look at me while I'm talking to you!' James yelled.  
  
Harry slowly looked up at James, fear in his eyes. Would James hit him?  
  
"_Well_?" James urged. "Why did you do something so stupid? What were you thinking, Harry? The whole Order went out of their way on the Death Eater search just to look for you!"  
  
"I'm sorry, okay?" said Harry.  
  
"Is that all you have to say for yourself, Harry? 'I'm sorry'? It's not good enough! I want some answers from you! What were you thinking when you left?"  
  
"I- I needed to be alone." said Harry hoping James would understand.  
  
"And you thought it unwise to tell anyone where you were going?"  
  
"I just… I didn't… I needed to… no." said Harry finally.  
  
"Needed to what?"  
  
"Nothing," said Harry hurriedly.   
  
"Then why didn't you tell us?" James asked.  
  
"I- I don't know." said Harry.  
  
James took a deep breath. He didn't like yelling.   
  
"Do you have any idea how mad your mother and I are right now?" James asked Harry more quietly.  
  
"Er- Really angry?" Harry guessed.  
  
"Too angry to think of a punishment for you yet, that's for sure." said James. "Just-er- go to your room for now while I talk to your mum. I'll be up soon."  
  
Harry obediently walked up the stairs and into his room. He closed the door and sat down on the corner of his bed. He didn't even want to think about how much trouble he was in. He thought about his life. Would his life have been like this if his parents hadn't 'died' that Halloween night? No, he decided, Sirius would still be alive and not have gone to Azkaban if his parents were alive all those years. Would his dad be as bad as his uncle though? Was James going to hurt him?  
  
He began to miss his old life a little. He could leave whenever he wanted and even if the Dursleys were going to try to punish him, he could usually get away. Now, he had more rules to follow then he wanted to think about. It was nice to have people caring and worrying about him, but was it really what he wanted? A part of him wanted to call Godric's Hollow his home, while the other part wanted to keep calling Hogwarts his home. _'Three weeks,_' he thought. 'just _three more weeks until I'm back at Hogwarts_.'  
  
Footsteps echoed up the stairs and Harry's door opened with a loud creak. James spotted Harry on the bed an sat down beside him. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry flinched and moved away quickly towards the headboard as if he had been burned.  
  
_'Great! Now he's afraid of me! As if hate wasn't enough…_' James thought bitterly.  
  
"Harry…" James hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry for raising my voice earlier and if I hurt you. That was not my intention. I was just really angry and couldn't control my temper."  
  
Harry finally looked up fully, he looked straight as James who was sitting 2 feet away. His eyes, previously filled with fear, softened a little.  
  
"Don't apologize, I deserved it. I'm used to it anyway."  
  
_'Well, so much for that'_ James thought. Then he realized what Harry had said.  
  
"What do you mean? I've never… Only today…" Then it struck James. "You don't mean…? They didn't! Did they?"  
  
"I was Dudley's first punching bag and a favorite to beat up for his gang." Harry said as if it were perfectly normal to get beat up by your cousin.  
  
James seemed lost for words. His only son had been abused during his childhood and he couldn't do anything to change that. He wondered if Vernon had hurt Harry too, but didn't dare ask. Harry would say something if he wanted James to know. He wasn't going to push it out of Harry.  
  
"I- Harry, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have… You didn't deserve that at all! I should have let you explain before I jumped to conclusions! I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." said Harry. He had the feeling telling James his wrist was a bit sore would make James break down into tears.   
  
"Oh, right… Where was I?" James asked sheepishly.  
  
"You were about to kill me for running away to Sirius' old bedroom." said Harry trying to stay calm, but failing miserably. His voice cracked on Sirius' name.  
  
'How many mistake can I make in one day?" James asked himself. 'Of course he was in Sirius' room for a reason! I'll never get on his good side at this rate.'  
  
"Oh, yeah. Umm… You're grounded until I say otherwise.'  
  
"Okay,"  
  
"You are to write apology letters to everyone in the Order."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"You are to spend the weekend with Professor Snape cleaning caldrons."  
  
"WHAT?" Harry yelled.  
  
"Kidding," James laughed. "I'm not that mean. I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit."  
  
"That wasn't funny." Harry grumbled.  
  
"I want you to write me an essay on the severity of what you did today."  
  
Harry groaned, "How long?"  
  
"I'll let you chose a reasonable length." said James. "Just write as much as you think is necessary."  
  
Harry wanted to protest doing the essay, but didn't think now would be a good time to argue with his father. He was in enough trouble as it is. He finally agreed to do the essay knowing he wouldn't make it very long anyway.  
  
"Anything else?" Harry asked coldly.  
  
"Maybe you could work on your attitude a little." James joked.  
  
"I don't have an attitude!" Harry said without thinking.  
  
"Oh, no. Of course not. I must have imagined it." James said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, you did." said Harry.  
  
"Well, I guess that's everything." said James ignoring Harry's last comment.  
  
"That's all?" Harry asked.  
  
"All?" James asked surprised. "You've got more than enough to keep you busy for the rest of summer break… but if you want me to add some more…"  
  
"No, I just thought…" Harry trailed off. _'I guess he isn't anything like Uncle Vernon then_.' Harry thought.  
  
"Thought what?" James asked.  
  
"Thought… thought you weren't done." Harry said lamely. He didn't want James to know the truth.   
  
"Oh, well, I have to save time for when you break more rules you know." said James, though he knew Harry was lying. "You really go through them quickly." he joked.  
  
"It's pretty hard not to when you are Voldemort's number one enemy. The Order alone has all the _'Safety precautions'_ for me to follow. It's as if everyone thinks I'm going to die." Harry said bitterly.  
  
"You're not the only one who has to follow rules you know. Voldemort's risen again and we have to take a lot of precautions for everyone's safety."  
  
"I have the most rules though."  
  
"Yeah, I won't deny that, but it's for your own safety."  
  
"No, it's because I'm the bloody 'Boy-Who-Lived' I'm just so important to the wizarding world. No, little Harry Potter can't watch out for himself, he needs to follow millions of rules set by the adults, even though he has probably done more than half of them ever will."  
  
James bit his lip. What was he suppose to say to Harry? He knew it all was true. Harry only had all those rules because he was Harry Potter. No other kids had them.  
  
"That's not true, Harry. We know you can watch out for yourself. We just don't want you to have to." said James.  
  
"That what Dumbledore said."  
  
"Well, he was right."  
  
**End Note**: Chapter 11... someday you'll get it. Hopefully before Harry Potter's birthday on the 31st. This chapter pretty much shows an overprotective James and an angry Harry because of it. Next chapter: James finds out about why Harry hates him so much.   



	11. The Truth

**Disclaimer**: I can hope and dream everyday, but I don't own Harry Potter. All locations, items, spells, characters, ect. are most likely property of J.K. Rowling and not me.   
  
Review Responses:   
  
**Faith-Tse**: "Or die trying" I love Oliver Wood! I've been wondering about why Wormtail was in Gryffindor myself. He's a natural Slytherin. Maybe he has some hidden bravery we won't see until book 6 or 7 though? I doubt it, though he still has to do something for Harry after Harry didn't let Sirius and Remus kill him in book 3. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Volleypickle16**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it.  
  
**Jen**: Glad you enjoyed the talk about the Dursley's. I felt I should add it in sometime. I hope this chapter isn't too fluffy for you. I really wanted some fluff though. Sorry. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**yaminy-grint4eva**: Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**HPprincess23** : Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far. As far as Harry hating James forever? No, not forever, but er… they won't exactly be best buddies just yet. I can't really give a straight answer as I keep changing the storyline.  
  
**Eric2:** I think the reaction is going to be a bit fluffy, but I hope you still enjoy it. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
**Hillary Morrison**: It's cool that you were getting into it. I know that feeling myself. I actually let out a few tears while reading a fanfic myself. Don't worry, lots more chapters to come. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**GutterGirl130:** You're name sounds familiar… Yeah, I make a lot of typos and spelling mistakes and overlooks them, but I never see the reason to re-upload the chapter. Yeah, the breaking stuff thing is getting a bit old. Glad you like most of the story so far. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**SnapeLuver666**: Whooo! I woke up and saw my reviews said "123" this morning and I almost fell out of my chair. Surprisingly, I get overexcited to see one new review. Ahh, the consequences! -shudders- Glad to review your story. If Sirius is alive, the story is defiantly worth my time. Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
**born2driveat16:** Thanks for the confirmation. I checked out your story. I guess I might have forgotten to review it yesterday? Whoops if I did. Looks like you're doing pretty good on it so far. Thank you for reviewing1  
  
**Skylaguna1890**: Thanks for reviewing! I feel bad for James myself too. I really want them to bond now, but it would ruin my current storyline.   
  
**Eric (ch. 1 review): **I'm aware of the Quidditch mistake. It was corrected after chapter 4 I think. I may revise the first 4 chapters in the future, but currently I lose my mind every time I have to suffer the pains of going of Internet Explorer to add bold/itallic. (spyware sucks) Thanks though.  
  
**Author's Note**: Whooo! After being under the stress of all my threatening readers (just kidding) I have updated early. I didn't do PoV right and I know it, but couldn't think of any other way to write this chapter. Hope everyone enjoys it anyway. This is one of my longest chapters. I tried hard to make a little less dialog in this chapter, because my friend so kindly pointed out my story is about 95% dialog. Personally, I love all dialog stories, but maybe that's just me. This chapter is dedicated to born2driveat16 for the idea of switching to James' PoV and all my faithful readers

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**Chapter 11: The Truth**  


  
  
Harry looked down at the floor. Should he tell James about the prophecy contents? '_No, he'd be so much more overprotective if he knew. I need some freedom in my life_.' Harry thought.  
  
James got up from the bed to leave. Harry was still looking down at the floor.  
  
"Wow, no argument today?" he asked. "I expected some huge argument about how you shouldn't have any rules."   
  
Harry ignored him and continued his thinking. He looked up as James was placing his hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Dad?" Harry asked.  
  
James turned around, "Yes?"  
  
"Do you think there's a chance I could.. Well, talk to Remus?"  
  
Not only was this the last thing James had expected Harry to say, but Harry had said it in a kind, almost desperate voice. James wondered why Harry wanted to talk to Remus instead of himself. Was it something he had done? He agreed to give Remus a call though anyway.  
----  
Remus, who agreed to come talk to Harry, walked into the room.  
  
"I trust it went alright with James then? You look like you're still alive." Remus joked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll live. I've had worse."  
  
"James said you wanted to talk to me." Remus said, noticing Harry did not want to emphasize on his last comment.  
  
"Yeah, well, er… You remember the Department of Mysteries?"  
  
"Yeah," said Remus hoping this wasn't going where he thought it was.  
  
"And the prophecy?"  
  
Remus nodded, "But it got smashed."  
  
"Yeah, but Dumbledore had heard to original prophecy himself before I was born. He told me the contents of it that day in his office."  
  
Remus was unsure of whether or not he should ask Harry to go on, so he waited for Harry to continue. Harry hesitated for a while.  
  
"I- I've got to either be a murderer or be murdered. The fate of the wizarding world depends on me. I'm the only one who has the power to defeat Voldemort. One of us has to kill the other."  
  
Remus could only gasp. He was lost for words. He never thought Harry, James Potter's son, would have to carry such a huge burden. He wondered if Harry had told anyone else about the prophecy. Surely his parents and Ron and Hermione would know too.  
  
"Have you told Ron and Hermione?" Remus finally asked. He assumed Harry had told his parents already.  
  
"No, I haven't even told my parents the full depth of the prophecy yet. They know only as much as everyone else and that's all. I'm not sure if I should tell them or not."  
  
"You really should, Harry. They need to know the whole prophecy."  
  
"My dad is already so overprotective though. If he knew what kind of burden I had… the dangers I'm in, I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything alone anymore. It is hard enough to get time to myself as it is."  
  
"Look, Harry. I know it's hard for you, but try to take it from his point of view. He died when you were a baby and now he finally sees you again and you're sixteen years old. You've already faced so many near-death experiences. He wants to chance to grow close to you again like when you were born. He doesn't want to lose you."  
  
"He shouldn't get so close. It's a bad idea. Sirius got close to me and loved me and look where it got him. He's d-" Harry still had trouble saying it. He didn't want to believe Sirius was dead. He couldn't face the truth yet.  
  
"Harry, it's not your fault! I won't deny that he died to protect you, but that's the way he wanted to go! He wanted you to make it even if it would cost him his own life. He was willing to do all he could to save your life or die trying! He wanted to die in battle, Harry. Don't ever blame yourself."  
  
"But Sirius didn't need to die!" Harry yelled. "He shouldn't have spared his life just to give me a little more. It was pointless! You heard the prophecy, Voldemort's going to kill me!"  
  
"You don't know that, Harry. How do you know you'll die? You could win. You will win!"  
  
"I'm not strong enough, Remus! All he has to do is say a quick curse before I do and I'm gone!"  
  
"Harry, you've beaten him before and you can do it again. Gryffindor's are known for there bravery and today yours isn't really showing!"  
  
Harry felt a bit insulted by that. He was brave to some extent. Who voluntarily went through the trapdoor in their first year? Who went down into the Chamber of Secrets to save their best friend's sister? Who went into the Shrieking Shack and rescued Sirius? Who participated in the Triwizard Tournament and witlessness Voldemort's resurrection? He did, not Remus, but he hadn't done it all alone.  
  
"I got lucky all the times I beat him! I only became the Boy-Who-Lived, because my mum sacrificed herself. I only made it out alive in my first year, because Dumbledore came in time. Plus Ron and Hermione helped me though all of it. I only made it through the Chamber of Secrets because Fawkes came. The ghosts of the people Voldemort killed distracted him while I got away in my fourth year.   
  
"I only made it out alive at the Department of Mysteries because you, Tonks, Moody, Sirius and Kingsley came to help. If Dumbledore hadn't arrived, Voldemort would have succeeded in killing me by the fountain anyway. What are the chances I'll get lucky again, Remus? I'm going to die and you know it!"  
  
"Harry, a little extra training and you could become stronger than him. You do have a chance, Harry. You just won't admit that you do. You won't believe in yourself."  
  
"You know, this argument isn't going anywhere. I'm not going to change my view on it anytime soon."  
  
"Fine, but while you're in the mood for arguing, I'd like to know why you hate James so much." (A/N: For all the wonderful readers that asked!)  
  
"First off, I don't _hate_ him. It's more of a strong dislike really. I thought the reason why was pretty obvious."  
  
"Well, it's not! It's really been a pretty popular argument between Order meetings. You know how obvious it is that you '_dislike_' him? Everyone is wondering why. What did he do?"  
  
_'Well, let's see, he's probably the most arrogant person on this planet…'_ Harry thought.  
  
"He never leaves me alone. He wants to do everything together." Harry said.  
  
"That's why you hate him?" Remus asked.  
  
"No, I mean… there are other reasons. You know, as I've been growing up, I'm heard how much like him I am. Countless times I heard about how identical we are except I have my mum's eyes. When I rescued Sirius in third year, he said I was truly James' son. Even Snape said I was just like him, only all the things Snape said were bad. I thought he was lying, so I defended my dad, but then I found out he wasn't.   
  
"I used to be proud to hear that I was just like my dad was as a kid, Remus. It changed though. I saw what he was really like last year. Everything Snape told me was actually true. It's really hard to accept that.   
  
"Sometimes I feel ashamed to hear I'm like him, because I'm not. Sure we look the same and we both play Quidditch. I won't deny that I break a lot of rules as well, but we're not the same. He broke rules for his own amusement and his pranks. A lot of the times I break rules have something to do with Voldemort. As Hermione would say, I have 'A saving people thing'. I don't go breaking all the rules just because I want to make Snape's hair pink or something stupid like that! I'm not my dad and never will be like him."  
  
Remus sighed, "He was young, Harry. He's changed a lot. He was very arrogant when he was at Hogwarts, even a bit stupid, but he isn't anymore. If you give him a chance, maybe you will see just how much he's matured."  
  
"I just don't think I can."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"I'm just not ready. It's too soon." Harry said. He hoped Remus, of all people, would understand. Both we quiet for a moment.  
  
"Have you cried at all since- since he died?" Remus asked quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Have you cried since Sirius died?"  
  
"What kind of question is that?" Harry asked.  
  
"Have you?"  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment. Why did Remus care if He cried? It was none of his business. Avoiding the question wasn't going to work though. Remus wouldn't give up.  
  
"Yes," Harry finally mumbled.  
  
"How many times?"  
  
"I don't know… a few times." Harry said unsurely. Remus was really annoying him now. Why would how many times he had cried matter to Remus anyway? Harry thought Remus was just being nosy.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Why are you asking so many stupid questions? It doesn't matter how many times I cried since Sirius died. You should go back to Headquarters. It's getting late."  
  
Remus could tell Harry's voice was beginning to crack though. He was determined to get the truth out of Harry.   
  
"Really, Harry, I'm fine. Now, tell me, when was the last time you cried?"  
  
_'Does he ever give up?_' Harry wondered.  
  
"I don't remember…"   
  
"Did you cry today?" Remus asked seriously.  
  
Harry wished Remus would stop. If he cried, it was his business, not Remus'. Remus needed to lay off. Harry answered the question anyway though.  
  
"No, not today."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I didn't have any reason to."  
  
"You could hang out in his old room for hours. You could look through all Sirius' stuff and bring back all those memories, but you didn't cry? Why not Harry?  
  
"I-"   
  
Harry couldn't think of an excuse. He didn't cry, because he tried hard not to. He wanted to tell himself he was over his godfather's death. He tried to get up from the bed and leave the room, but Remus got up too and grabbed his arm to stop him.  
  
"Let me go!" Harry yelled.  
  
Remus could see tears welling up in Harry's eyes. He wanted to leave so Remus wouldn't see him crying, but Remus wasn't going to let him. He was going to teach Harry a lesson today. Harry needed to learn that it's okay to cry.  
  
"You what, Harry? Why didn't you cry?"  
  
"I can't! Let go of me, Remus! Let me go! Don't do this!" Harry pleaded.  
  
Harry continued to struggle in Remus grip. For an old werewolf, he was pretty strong. Harry finally turned away from Remus, but Remus still heard it. Harry let out a soft sob. He was crying. Remus immediately removed his hand from Harry's arm.  
  
"You should sit down, Harry." said Remus.  
  
"G-go away." said Harry between sobs, but he did sit down.  
  
Remus ignored him and sat down on the bed too. He put a comforting arm around Harry.   
  
"It's okay to cry, Harry. I cry for Sirius too. It doesn't make you look weak. Never be ashamed of crying."  
  
To Remus' surprise, Harry leaned his head onto his shoulder and wrapped his arms around Remus into a hug. Harry's tears fell into Remus' robes. '_Remus would have made a good father... It's too bad he got that werewolf bite._' Harry thought.  
  
"I miss him so much." Harry whispered.  
  
"Me too, Harry. Me too." said Remus.  
  
Soon enough, Remus felt Harry's grip loosen. He looked sideways and saw that Harry was fast asleep. He carefully removed Harry's arms from his body, so he wouldn't wake him and placed him back on the bed. Remus turned the lights out and walked out the door. He needed to talk to James.  
  
Rewind: James PoV   
  
James Potter walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He heard yelling as he passed by Harry's door. Curious as to what was going on, he stopped to listen.  
  
"He shouldn't have spared his life just to give me a little more. It was pointless! You heard the prophecy, Voldemort's going to kill me!" said Harry's voice  
  
"you don't know that, Harry. How do you know you'll die? You could win. You will win!" said the voice of Remus Lupin.  
  
_'So Harry heard the prophecy then?_' James wondered. _'And he has to duel Voldemort I think…That's what Dumbledore said in June.'  
_  
"I'm not strong enough, Remus! All he has to do is say a quick curse before I do and I'm gone!" came Harry's voice.  
  
"Harry, you've beaten him before and you can do it again. Gryffindor's are known for their bravery and today yours isn't really showing!" said Remus.  
  
_'Both of them have good points there'_ James thought.  
  
"I got lucky all the times I beat him! I only became the Boy-Who-Lived, because my mum sacrificed herself. I only made it out alive in my first year, because Dumbledore came in time. Plus Ron and Hermione helped me though all of it. I only made it through the Chamber of Secrets because Fawkes came. The ghosts of the people Voldemort killed distracted him while I got away in my fourth year.   
  
"I only made it out alive at the Department of Mysteries because you, Tonks, Moody, Sirius and Kingsley came to help. If Dumbledore hadn't arrived, Voldemort would have succeeded in killing me by the fountain anyway. What are the chances I'll get lucky again, Remus? I'm going to die and you know it!" said Harry.  
  
_'Wow, he has no confidence in himself.'_ James thought. _'And he's way too modest.'  
_  
"Harry, a little extra training and you could become stronger than him. You do have a chance, Harry. You just won't admit that you do. You won't believe in yourself." said Remus.  
  
"You know, this argument isn't going anywhere. I'm not going to change my view on it anytime soon." said Harry.  
  
James was about to walk away. He shouldn't be listening to their conversation and he knew it. Then he heard it. The one thing he had been wondering for so long himself. He learned his ear closer against the door.  
  
"I'd like to know why you hate James so much." said Remus.  
  
"So would I…" James muttered to himself.  
  
"First off, I don't _hate_ him. It's more of a strong dislike really. I thought the reason why was pretty obvious."  
  
_'Well, you thought wrong!'_ James thought.  
  
"Well, it's not! It's really been a pretty popular argument between Order meeting. You know how obvious it is that you '_dislike_' him? Everyone is wondering why. What did he do?"  
  
_'Yeah! What did I do? I want to know too, Remus_.' James thought again.  
  
"He never leaves me alone. He wants to do everything together." Harry said.  
  
_'I thought Harry liked hanging out…_' James thought to himself.  
  
"That's why you hate him?" Remus asked Harry.  
  
"No, I mean… there are other reasons." said Harry.  
  
James listened carefully as Harry talked about growing up and how he always thought James was different. He heard Harry talk about how he found out how James really was in his fifth year. What really hurt James though, was when Harry said he was sometimes ashamed of being James' son.   
  
James couldn't take it anymore. It hurt to much to listen to Harry after that. He ran down the stairs and laid across the couch, burring his head in a pillow. Harry's words had really hit him hard.   
  
He began to cry quietly into the pillow. He wanted to pretend Harry had not said it, but he had. Harry was ashamed of him. He heard Harry say it just a moment ago.  
  
_'I'm a terrible father. My own son doesn't even like me; he is ashamed to be my son. Why didn't I see it myself? I don't blame him, why would anyone want to be my son?  
  
'I was never there for him while he was growing up. All he knows about me is my Hogwart's years as a prankster, the leader of the Marauders actually. Maybe that's all I am though? A worthless prankster that can't even take care of his son.'_  
  
James was interrupted from his thoughts when a soft hand stroked his hair. He looked up to see Lily's concerned face.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"  
  
James didn't know if he should tell her. He was ashamed of it himself. Hearing Harry say it was hard enough without Lily knowing too. If he told Lily, that would make it final that he was a terrible father and his son hated him. James didn't want to believe that. He tried to remain calm.  
  
"I'm fine, Lily."  
  
"Then why were you crying?" she asked.  
  
James knew he had to tell her the truth. Lily Potter was not one to just brush something like this aside. She wouldn't leave until he told her and James knew it.   
  
"I-er- accidentally overheard Harry talking to Remus."   
  
Lily just gave him a look that clearly said, 'I don't think it was accidental' and waited for him to continue. She wanted to know what James had possibly overheard to make him break down like that.  
  
"It's no big deal or anything. I didn't really hear anything important."  
  
Lily knew James was lying though. His voice had cracked as he said it. She wondered what could have possibly made James lie to her. He didn't usually do such a thing. Both were usually truthful with each other.  
  
"What did you hear, James?"  
  
"I told you, it's nothing important."  
  
"Yes it is, James! You were _crying_ and your voice is cracking again! What did Harry say?"  
  
"I told you, Lily. It's no big deal." said James fighting to keep his voice from cracking again. He failed miserably.  
  
"James, tell me what Harry said!"  
  
James hesitated for a moment. It was going to be hard for him to admit the truth to his wife. Maybe she could help though. He could ask her if he was really like that.  
  
"He- he said he was ashamed of me sometimes. Ashamed to hear he acts like me, because of how I was at Hogwarts. I know it's kind of childish of me to get all worked up about that, but I don't know. It still hurt me, Lily. I know he's a teenager and him saying things like that should be expected, but I never thought he was _ashamed_."  
  
Lily gasped. She couldn't believe her Harry had said something like that. Sure, James was obnoxious at school, but he changed.   
  
"Am I a bad father, Lily? I'm a doing something wrong. I mean, I wasn't that arrogant, was I?"  
  
Lily sat down on the couch beside James. She wrapper her arm around his body.  
  
"No, that's not it, James! You're becoming a great father. I think Harry may only know about what the Marauders did and not the real you. Twenty years ago, you were extremely arrogant . You were _always_ showing off. If you were to ask me if you'd make a good parent, then I'd have said no in a heartbeat. You've changed though, James. Harry just doesn't realized how much yet. Give him some time to learn about the real you."  
  
"I'm sick of waiting, Lily. I want to be close to him like I heard he was with Sirius. I want him to enjoy spending time with me and be proud to be a Potter.   
  
"He will, just not yet."  
  
"He's afraid of me." James said in a pained voiced.  
  
"What makes you think something that crazy? Why would he be?" Lily asked.  
  
"When I was in his room earlier, he flinched and moved away from me. It was like he thought I was going to hurt him."  
  
Lily couldn't think of anything to say. She was lost for words. Luckily, she was saved from responding when Remus Lupin appeared in the room. James immediately straightened up. He didn't want Remus to know he was crying.  
  
"What's up, Prongs? Your eyes look a little red." asked Remus concerned.  
  
"What? Oh, it's nothing… just erm… allergies." James lied. "Did it go alright with Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, he's fast asleep now. Put him to sleep with a long lecture you know.." Moony joked.  
  
James grinned. Trust Moony to cheer to up. "Now, Moony, you shouldn't be lecturing Harry. That's my job. Trust me, he really got a lecture too." James added seriously.  
  
Remus laughed. James would never change. As much as he loved his pranks, he was the most overprotective of the Marauders. Remus recalled him always watching out for the Marauders and Lily, ready to curse anyone that insulted or tried to hurt them. Remus put those thoughts aside though. He needed to talk to James seriously.  
  
"James, we need to talk."  
  
James noted that Remus' voice had suddenly become very serious. He hoped that Remus didn't have any bad news or anything.  
  
"Okay, go right ahead. I'm listening." said James.  
  
"I'll leave." said Lily.  
  
She got up from the couch with one last loving stroke through James' hair and walked up the stairs. James knew she'd be waiting for him in their bedroom. Remus sat down on the couch in the place Lily had been a few seconds before.   
  
"I don't think Harry wanted me to go tell you this, but I think you need to know." started Remus. "While I was talking to him upstairs a few important things came up. Now, I don't really think Harry meant it or anything, but-"  
  
"I already know, Remus." James cut in.  
  
"You… you know? Did Harry tell you?"  
  
"No, I overheard you two talking while I was walking down the hallway. Accidentally." said James adding the last part hurriedly.  
  
Remus gave James the same look Lily had given him. Obviously, Remus didn't think James overheard accidentally either. He partially wished James hadn't. Remus assumed the red in James' eyes was from crying and not allergies, but he didn't dare tell James that.  
  
"So you know then?" asked Remus. "The prophecy too?"  
  
James nodded.  
  
"Well, that makes it easier for me at least. I need to get back the Headquarters anyway. Snape's probably received more information about Voldemort's location. You know where to find me if you need anything."  
  
"Thanks. Bye, Moony." said James.  
  
Remus said his goodbyes and Flooed back to Headquarters. James got up and stretched before making his way up the stairs. He stopped when he passed by Harry's room. The door was open and the lights were out. He peeked inside.  
  
Harry was sound asleep. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. It was hard to believe this was the kid that said he was ashamed to be James Potter's son. Most would never believe it of him. Harry had a reputation as being very polite and sweet actually.   
  
It was also hard for James to believe that this boy had escaped Voldemort no less than five times already. He was only sixteen after all. James had to admit Harry was growing since he came to live here though. He was no longer the scrawny fifteen year old James had met in June. He was stronger and healthier. James was happy for that.  
  
Still though, Harry was only sixteen. He had lost his parents at the age of one and lived with Lily's horrible sister until Lily and James came back to life and were healthy again. He had met his godfather while thinking he was an escaped murderer in his third year and saved him from a Dementor's Kiss. Then Sirius had died, fallen behind the mysterious veil last year. James was on the verge of tears when he heard about it. His best friend had suffered twelve years of Azkaban and then died as an escaped convict.   
  
Harry had faced so many hardships in his life, but here he was, looking as peaceful as any other kid. James remembered Harry's nightmare just last week in the Hospital Wing. Harry didn't look peaceful then. James wondered how often Harry had strange nightmares. Was sleeping peaceful something he son rarely experienced?  
  
James put his thoughts aside and left the room. He went into his own room where Lily was also sleeping peacefully. He changed into some night clothes and slid into the bed beside her. He smiled to himself at how lucky he was to have Lily as a wife before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

End note: Nobody hurt me! I just wanted to add the crying Harry scene so badly… I know the James feelings thing was kind of annoying to re-read the conversation, but I go crazy trying to write PoV correctly. Glad this chapter is over… I went insane putting up the italics. Pop ups were coming up like mad. Well, it's over now. Next chapter will be up someday. I'll have a preview on my Xanga sometime soon. I'm really liking what I have written for it so far.   



	12. Confessions

**Disclaimer:** Once again, I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, but I don't. My name is Michelle, not J.K. Rowling. This story is just a way for me to pass time while waiting for Half Blood Prince.  
  
**Review Responces: **They have been moved to my forums (link in my profile) for the time being. I thought that review responces were taking up too much space on my chapters. Also, the forums are a lot easier for me.  
Pro: You get your responce when I see your review, insted of three weeks later.  
Con: Extra page to view.  
If anyone has trouble accessing their review responce or would perfer that I switch back to doing responces on my chapter page, let me know. I'll take a vote on it. if more people want their responces on my chapter, then I'll put them on here once again.

**Author's note: **I am so sorry I took so long getting this chapter out. Really, I intended to have it up in July, but it just kept getting longer. I tried less dialog. I'm not sure if thats good or bad. Umm.. I start school on the 16th. (noooooo!) Life will being to suck. Updates may be slower. I'm kinda revising my outline again. I really never planed to have chapters 11 or 12 in the story, but so many people wanted this stuff to happen... Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

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**Chapter 12: Confessions, Consequences and a Compromise**

Harry awoke the next morning to find he was still wearing regular clothing. Why didn't he change before going to sleep? He thought back to yesterday's events. He read the Daily Prophet, went to Headquarters, Remus found him, James went ballistic, he got grounded _again_, and then he talked to Remus. Yes, the talk with Remus... he must have fallen asleep. He still regretted crying in front of Remus, but Remus had said it was nothing to be ashamed of anyway.

Harry got up and stretched. Trousers, a shirt and robes weren't exactly his choice for sleeping in. He walked out the door and headed downstairs to get breakfast. He hoped he wouldn't be receiving a huge lecture from his mum today. Hearing his dad's was bad enough.

When Harry walked into the kitchen, James was sitting as the table while Lily was at the stove frying bacon, eggs and toast. Harry took the seat across from James. He took note that James didn't look very happy today. Maybe he was still worked up about Harry leaving yesterday.

"Good morning." Harry greeted as usual.

To Harry's surprise James only mumbled back a "Morning, Harry" and walked out of the room. Why was James acting so odd today? Normally he was excited about seeing Harry. Was he that angry about yesterday? Harry came out of his thoughts when Lily set a plate in front of him. He looked up at her.

"What's up with dad today? He just walked out of the room when he realized I was here." asked Harry.

Lily looked as though she was deeply considering answer this question or not. She seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Harry started eating his eggs and was halfway through his plate before Lily answered.

"He overheard you talking to Remus yesterday."

"What? Why? That was private!" said Harry.

"Please don't be angry with him, Harry. You were just really loud and he couldn't help overhearing."

"He didn't hear me say..." Harry said suddenly.

"He heard you said you were ashamed of him sometimes." Lily cut in. "He was very hurt by it. Never seen James get so upset before. Not even the first time I turned him down for a date..."

Harry suddenly felt very guilty. Those words were not meant for James to hear. They were true though. Harry really felt that way. It was kind of fair that James at least knew now, but it was too soon for Harry. He never intended to tell James how he felt.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Harry muttered frantically. "He wasn't suppose to hear that. I only wanted Remus to know. Of all times for dad to eavesdrop."

Harry slid his plate aside and got up from the table. He needed to talk to his father. As much as he detested James at times, he couldn't help feeling guilty about making him so upset. Why did James have to hear that? Harry was absolutely furious with himself.

Harry checked the living room first, but their was no sign of James. His bedroom was empty too. Harry's room, the study, the bathroom and the living room were all empty. Where was James at?

Then an idea struck Harry. The Quidditch pitch was James' favorite place at the entire house. Harry thought it was a great place to go think when he needed too, so of course James would think the same! Harry hoped he would at least.

Harry walked out the backdoor and sure enough saw James laying underneath the golden hoops of the pitch. Harry slowly made his way over to James. What would he say to his dad? He stopped when he reached the goal hoops and sat down beside his dad. Apparently James didn't notice, because he didn't get up to leave.

"Dad?" Harry asked.

James looked sideways to see who the voice was coming from, but said nothing. He got up and started walking away. Harry got up too and ran to catch up with him.

"Where are you going?" asked Harry.

"I have to do something." lied James.

"Well, it can wait. I think we need to talk."

James stopped walking at these words and looked at Harry closely. Harry said he needed to talk to him. Had Lily put him up to it? Why would Harry want to talk to him? Harry hated him and loved to avoid him if he could. Now James was doing what Harry wanted and Harry comes running outside wanting to talk to him. The situation wasn't something James expected at all.

"About what?" James asked.

"Er... " said Harry.

He hadn't really thought it through yet. How should he start? James probably knew what this talk was about. Why was he making it so difficult for Harry?

"Do you want me to leave?" asked James when he noticed Harry was having difficulty.

"What? No, I want to talk now. You can't just avoid the subject. I know you'd like to talk about this too."

James began moving a rock around with his foot. Why was Harry struggling so much to start the conversation? Lily must have put him up to it. Harry didn't really want to talk about it with James.

"Look, I know what you overheard last night." said Harry.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to, Harry." said James quickly.

"That's not what I meant." said Harry. "I didn't want you to hear that. I only told Remus because he asked. If I would have known you were listening I wouldn't have said it... I'm sorry."

"But did you mean it when you said it, Harry?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Or I thought I did at least." he added quietly.

"You're not sure though. You can act like you hate me, but you can't say it to me."

"I never said I hated you."

"You make it seem that way though. When we talk, you sound annoyed. You constantly try to avoid having me around. You act like you would rather be living back on Privet Drive. Sometimes I feel like you'd rather have had me not come back to life."

"No, that's not true! This summer has been the best one I've ever had, even it I spent most my time here grounded or in bed. The day I found out you and mum came back to life was the best day of my life. The memory would probably make a great Patronus even."

"What changed then? One day you suddenly decided you didn't like me and were ashamed, because I hexed everyone while I was at Hogwarts? Why the sudden change, Harry? Why not just talk to me about it or something?"

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think about that. I was so excited you were alive and first and then I remembered what I saw in fifth year and I just decided I didn't like you I think. You seemed so stuck up, obnoxious and as if you thought you were better than everyone else. Then everyone goes and says I'm just like you when I'm not. I don't like being compared to that."

James sat down in the grass and motioned for Harry to sit beside him. They defiantly needed to talk about this. Where would he start though? Harry was really ashamed of being the son of the leader of the Marauders, because James had cursed Snape a lot. James would have been proud to have a dad like himself, but Harry was not James. They were two different people.

"Harry, I know I was arrogant when I was at Hogwarts, but I've changed. I haven't been like that since my seventh year. I'm sorry for the way I used to act and I can only hope you'll forgive me."

"I do, it's just... I don't know. I just have a lot to be dealing with right now you know. I'm kind of stressed out with all the Voldemort stuff going on. You don't know what it's like to be the '_Boy-Who-Lived_', not to mention having your life drawn out for you before you were born. You think you know a lot about me, but you don't. There is so much more you may never find out."

"I want to get to know you better, Harry. I want you to get to know me better. I can't change your past, but I'd like you to have a better future."

"I won't have a future." Harry said bitterly. "I'm going to die."

"Look, Harry, I know about the prophecy."

"You what?! Who told you? It wasn't Remus, was it?"

"Dumbledore told me in June. He thought Lily and I should know if we were going to be your guardians. We went into hiding fifteen years ago because of the prophecy being made, but we just found out the contents when Dumbledore realized the prophecy was made about you and not Neville. Back in the first war, Dumbledore had informed both Alice and Lily to go into hiding because the prophecy could have been about both children. He wouldn't tell us then, because what if he told us and it was Neville who had the power?"

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"We were waiting to see if you'd tell use yourself, but it's obvious you had no intention to. Anyway, what's important is that you won't die. I will do everything I can to make sure you survive. No one is just going to send you out to fight Voldemort alone. Remember that."

"Yeah, but-"

"You _will_ have a future, Harry. I'll do everything I can to make sure you do."

Harry knew this was one argument he wasn't going to win. Although James couldn't promise Harry would live to have a future, he did promise to do everything he could to help Harry survive. That was enough for him to win the argument. Sirius had done everything he could for Harry to survive too though. What if James died too just to save Harry? Harry didn't even want to think of that. Sirius and Cedric had died because of him already; James dying too would hurt so much.

"I just don't want to lose you too." said Harry quietly.

James was a bit shocked by this comment. Harry always acted like he would enjoy nothing more than to see James dead. Now, Harry sounded like he wouldn't be able to live if James died. What was going on? Why did Harry have this sudden change today? James wondered what had made Harry turn around so quickly today? Did the fact that James knew the truth make him change his views?

"Harry, I wish I could promise that I won't die, but you know I can't. No one can promise you they won't die. Voldemort's risen and deaths will happen. I will promise to try my hardest to be here for you though."

"Just don't do anything stupid." Harry said seriously. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

James smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. So Harry didn't hate him. This could defiantly be a start to a good life.

"Don't worry about what you'll do without me until the time comes. For now, just think about what to do while I'm here with you. If you want to get to know me that is."

"I'm willing to give you another chance." said Harry. "A chance to show me you've changed. A chance to be my father. If you want to try to prove to me that you've changed, then I'll stand by and let you. I'll respect you until you lose your chance. Are you willing to take the challenge though?"

James deeply considered this deal. It would defiantly be a start. Harry said one chance only though. What if he screwed up right away and lost his chance? He'd be back to living the way his is now. Having Harry glare at him every time he walked into a room. Would it be worth the risk? He really had nothing to lose anyway.

"I'm willing to do prove to you that I'm more than Prongs, leader of the Marauders, biggest prankster in the history of Hogwarts.. I'll do everything I can to show you I can be a good father."

"So I guess I can't glare at you anymore." said Harry sarcastically.

"Not until I 'Lose my chance'" said James. "That won't take long."

"Probably,"

James rolled his eyes, "You weren't suppose to agree with me. Anyway, now what?"

"I should go start on those letters." said Harry.

"Oh, right." said James who had obviously forgotten Harry was grounded. "We could hang out later though?"

"Maybe,"

With that, Harry got up and started walking to the house. Part of him wanted to give his dad another chance, while the other part just wanted James to fail fast. Why was he having such a hard time accepting James into his life? Sure, he was still getting over Sirius, but shouldn't he seize the chance to have James take his place as a guardian back while he could? He felt he could really trust James, but did he want to give James all his trust? Harry let himself become confused in his thoughts as he walked into the house.

James watched as Harry disappeared into the house. How long would it take him to lose his one chance? Would he even lose it? Maybe he could prove that he was a good father to Harry.

Part of him told him he hadn't changed though. He was still Prongs, biggest prankster in the history of Hogwarts. Not father material at all. How could he still be the prankster he was without his partner, Padfoot though? Oh how his missed Sirius and his bark like laugh.

James put his thoughts aside and he walked into the house to greet Lily. He gave her a small smile before laying across the couch. She looked relieved at this and asked him what happened outside. She said Harry just walked up into his room without saying a word.

"Everything's worked out for now, Lily. He decided to give me a chance." said James.

Lily gave a sigh of relief. "Just don't blow your chance, James. Let him come to you to talk and do things sometimes. Don't try to force things out of him."

"I know. I'm going to try my hardest to get Harry to accept me. Hopefully I won't blow it."

Lily smiled, "I know you won't. I'm just worried about it still."

"Maybe I should go check on Harry-"

"James! He just walked in the door. Do you want to blow your chance already? Being overprotective is one thing Harry can't stand."

"Fine," James said in defeat.

Upstairs, Harry was finishing off his apology letters. They weren't too hard really. Just the usual '**_I'm sorry for causing for much trouble last night. I wasn't thinking. I really hope you'll forgive me for being so stupid. -Harry_**' basically. Harry did manage to put separate names on every letter to make them to every Order member as James had asked.

His hand ached when he finished the last letter to Remus. He had added a little extra to Remus' to thank him for everything last night and explain the situation between him and his dad. He also extended a bit on Professor Dumbledore's, knowing that he really had to have gone out of his way to look for Harry. Harry imagined Snape's look when he received Harry's letter. Harry was sure to make his the shortest.

Harry put the letters aside and pulled out another piece of parchment. He might as well start on his essay. Where would he start though? He had no idea what to write. James would probably accept anything Harry wrote just so he wouldn't blow his chance, but something inside Harry made him want to write more than James expected. To spill out all his feelings to James. He dipped his quill into the ink and placed it onto the parchment hoping for an idea to come to him, and it did.

_I cannot begin to stress how crazy my actions were yesterday. At the time, they had seemed quite reasonable really. I was angry with the Daily Prophet, the Ministry, everyone. I just wanted to go grieve in Sirius' old room alone. The thought of at least leaving a note didn't seem to come through my head in my hurry to leave I suppose._

_I know I said countless times how much I've gotten over Sirius' death, but I don't really know what the truth is anymore. I thought I was done grieving, but maybe I was wrong. I may never be completely over it and may never accept that I will never hear his voice again. I wish I could have saved him from his terrible fate, but I couldn't. I'm sorry that you have to suffer the loss also._

_ Sadness wasn't the only emotion I felt yesterday though. I feel that I may owe you a major explanation, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell you everything. When Remus told me I needed to go home, I felt something I hadn't felt in weeks; something I never expected to feel again. I don't know why I felt it around you, but I felt fear. I was afraid to trust you and afraid you'd be just like the Dursley's. Apparently, I was wrong._

_ After talking with you this morning, I began to feel an emotion that I rarely feel. Something inside of me told me I could trust you. I could trust you to listen and be here for me; to help me through everything. It was as if I knew you'd understand everything if I wanted to talk to you. Part of me isn't sure if I want to trust you though. It's crazy how mixed up my emotions can get, isn't it?_

_ Despite how severe my actions yesterday were, I think a lot of good came of it as well. I seriously doubt I'd even be giving you a chance if it hadn't been for me running away to Sirius' old place yesterday. I'd still be sitting here, dwelling on whether or not you'd act like the Dursley's when you became angry. I would still give you absolutely no trust. More importantly, I would have never realized how important it is to have trust. I'm truly sorry for anything I said or did yesterday that hurt you. In the end, I hope both of us can benefit from this experience and learn more about each other._

Satisfied, Harry rolled up the parchment and set it beside the letters. One glance as the clock told him why his hand was so sore. It was already past 7 O'clock. '_Was I really writing that long?_' Harry wondered.

Harry decided he might as well give James his paper before he lost it. He walked down the hallway and knocked quietly on James' door. He heard his father tell him to come in and opened the door slowly. James was laying on the bed reading a copy of Quidditch Today Magazine. Harry set the essay on the bed and was proceeding to walk out the door when James stopped him.

"Wait," said James picking up the paper. "Already done with the essay then?"

Harry nodded, "The letters too."

"I didn't expect you to finish so quickly." mused James.

James' eyes widened as he unrolled the parchment. Harry had obviously written more than he had expected. Harry wanted to leave the room before James finished, but something inside him told him he shouldn't. He knew James would be reacting to the essay. How, he wasn't exactly sure yet. James finally set the parchment down and gazed at Harry thoughtfully.

"Did you mean everything you wrote, Harry?"

"Yes,"

"So then, you flinched because you were afraid of what I might act like yesterday? You weren't afraid of me because of something I did." James asked uneasily.

Harry nodded slowly.

"You know, my door's always open if you ever want to talk." said James.

With that, James went back to reading Quidditch Today. He looked sideways when he felt the bed shift to see Harry sitting beside him. He grinned to himself. Apparently, he was wrong in assuming Harry didn't want to talk about it yet.

"Well, you said you door is always open." Harry said sheepishly.

"It is," James said hurriedly tossing his magazine into the corner of the room.

"If you want me to come back another time-" said Harry.

"No, no, I'm listening!" insisted James.

Harry laughed, "You're taking that chance thing way to seriously."

"Am not! If you said you wanted to talk anytime at all this summer, I would talk to you. What do you want to talk about?"

Well, I've known you a few weeks now and I think I can trust you with this... if you want to hear about it that is, If you're ready to hear about my life with the Dursleys."

James noticed Harry looked really nervous about talking about this. Harry had come to him to talk though and he was going to listen. He decided not to push Harry into saying anything.

"If you're ready to tell me, I'm ready to listen." said James. "I promise not to interrupt you either."

"The Dursley's were terrible to me. The really didn't approve of magic. They hoped I wouldn't be a 'freak' like they called you and mum. They tried to stop me from going to Hogwarts, but Hagrid rescued me on my 11th birthday.

"Before I received my Hogwart's letter, I lived in the cupboard under the stairs. I used to be punished by staying in my cupboard without food for a week. Usually by Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia and Dudley weren't quite as bad.

"My Aunt liked giving me a lot of chores. I did a lot around the house like cooking, cleaning and yard work. Dudley and his gang beat me up a lot. Uncle Vernon encouraged this of course. He was the worst of the three."

Harry buried his head into his arms. He could barely maintain a calm voice as he told his dad about his childhood. He still wondered if he was doing the right thing, but it was too late to turn back now.

"If you don't want to say anymore, I'll understand." said James noticing Harry's uneasiness.

"No, I better get it over with now."

James only nodded. He had trouble listening to the words Harry said. They hurt James so badly inside. His heart ached knowing how badly Harry had been treated.

"My uncle hated me and my magic more than Dudley and Aunt Petunia combined. He used to beat me and lock me in my cupboard to suffer. He enjoyed it really. He especially liked doing it during holidays when no one could find out. He made sure I was healed before going to school or kept the bruises where clothing could cover them easily.

"Some beatings were worse than others of course. I'd only get a few punches and my cupboard for the night for not finishing my chores. The time I got caught on the school roof got me some pretty bad bruises. Sometimes he would take his anger out of me if his drill company didn't sell much that day. A few kicks and punches, maybe a black eye too if he was really angry. I never got any serious injuries.

"After Hogwarts, things got a bit better. The Dursley's were afraid I'd hex them if they hurt me. I was given Dudley's second bedroom after I got my letter, which left room to lock my trunk in the cupboard under the stairs. They were absolutely terrified when I told them about Sirius, but they didn't remove the locks covering my door. I wasn't really allowed out of my room much, just to use the bathroom, do chores and possibly get a beating. I still got bruised a few times, but everything was much better.

"I wish I could have trusted you from the start. I should have told you about this sooner, so you wouldn't have been so hurt when I showed no trust. I'm sorry, dad. It's just, it's really hard for me. You don't know what my life's been like. I used to always wish I could be like every other kid, I was even jealous of Ron. I know that's sinking a bit low, but I couldn't help wishing I'd have a normal life too."

James leaned across the bed and embraced Harry in a hug so tight it was as if he never wanted to let go. He couldn't believe Harry had be abused so badly. All he wanted to do was kill the Dursley's right now. Harry squirmed a little in James' hold, before James finally loosened his grip a bit.

"All I wanted when I was little was a family that loved me. Every single day I'd hope someone would come take me away." Harry whispered.

"I'm going to kill the Dursleys!" James growled, unable to keep it to himself anymore. Harry's last whisper had pushed the limit.

"No!" Harry said suddenly. He sounded frightened of the idea. "That's exactly why I didn't want to tell you! If you kill the Dursleys, you'll be sent to Azkaban for sure. I don't want to lose you too!"

"I won't then. It's your choice, but if you change you mind..." James trailed off.

"You know I hate them too, but I don't want them dead." said Harry firmly.

James and Harry remained silent for a moment. Both wanted to be strong for each other and not cry, but it took all their strength to hold in the tears. James began twisting locks of Harry's hair to ease his nervousness. Harry seemed too caught up in his thoughts to notice.

James had never been in a situation like this before. Sure, Padfoot was hated by his family and Moony was rejected by the wizarding world, but they weren't abused by their families. Sirius was constantly called a blood traitor, but he was never hit or anything. He didn't even care what his parents thought, because he hated them and their pure-blood mania.

What should he say to Harry? Time was ticking by quickly and hadn't said anything comforting yet. Should he tell Harry how much he loved him? Should he assure Harry that he will never be sent back to the Dursley's again? James was so confused. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this father role after all.

"You're right. I'm sorry." said James finally.

"What?" asked Harry. He moved his head up, causing James to move his hands quickly.

"I'm sorry for everything. You're right. I don't know what you've gone through. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you all those years and you had to live with the Dursley's."

"It's not your fault. You gave your life for me. If it weren't for you and mum, I wouldn't even be here right now."

"Yeah, but it's not fair." said James. "You shouldn't have had to live the Dursley's. You shouldn't have to carry to the 'Boy-Who-Lived' title. You should have had a fun life."

"Well, who ever said my life was suppose to be fair?" said Harry.

"It should be though."

"But it isn't, and neither of us can change that."

James sighed, "I wish I could. I wish you could have grown up your whole life with people who love you. I wish you never would have met the Dursley's and became the 'Boy-Who-Lived'."

"It's pointless to wish for what could have been, Dad. It's over now anyway. I don't have to live with the Dursley's again. I hope not at least. ...It's almost like it would have been, except... Sirius." Harry chocked out the last word.

James draped his arm around Harry's shoulders and gave his arm a squeeze. Harry was right. Sirius would be alive now, he wouldn't have gone to Azkaban and Harry would have never lived with the Dursley's if that night had never happened. James wished it hadn't.

He hadn't seen Padfoot since the week of Halloween fifteen years ago and he'd never see him again. The thought brought tears to his eyes, but he would never shed them. Not in front of Harry at least. He needed to be strong for Harry, to help him get though his grieving. If he cried, Harry would feel terrible and start blaming himself again. James knew he would.

He felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. Looking down he saw Harry's head resting there. His eyes were shining with tears, but he just blinked them away. This was the boy that had the biggest burden in the entire wizarding world, the boy who had suffered so much pain and sadness throughout his life and the child who grew up for fifteen years never knowing what it was like to be loved. His pain burned inside of James as well, because he could do nothing for Harry. Life wasn't fair.

"You'll never be sent back to live with the Dursley's" James assured Harry quietly. "Never. I won't let anyone take you back there. Never, Harry."

"You promise?"

"I promise." said James.

"But what if you and mum-"

"We won't die." said James.

"How do you know that? Voldemort's going to kill you just like he killed Sirius."

James could feel Harry trembling. He pulled him closer and began to calm him.

"Do you think I'd just let him kill me without a fight? I'll fight hard, Harry. If I don't make it though, always remember that I love you, Harry. I love you more than anything in the world, and I'll never let you go back the Dursley's."

At this comment, Harry embraced James so tightly he could barely breathe. Whether it was the shock of hearing James says he loved him or something else, James wasn't sure.

"Don't say that! You can't love me. You'll get killed. Everyone who loves me dies!" said Harry pulling away from James..

"Harry, I love you and I'm willing to risk my life for you. You can't stop me from loving you. I'll only love you more." James said gently.

"But-"

"I will never stop loving you. You could become a Death Eater and disgrace the Potter name and I'd still love you. I hope you have no plans to do that though, because I'd hate to have us fighting against each other."

Harry sighed in defeat before sinking right back into James' robes. That was the first time he'd ever heard James say he loved him. To Harry, those were more than words. Saying those words was a huge risk. If anyone loved Harry Potter, Voldemort was sure to murder them in a heartbeat.

A single tear fell from his eye. Nothing was fair. He felt James' strong arms wrap around his body and leaned back into his chest. He liked having someone comfort him for once no matter how childish it was. He liked the feeling of having someone care about him.

James began running his fingers though Harry's messy hair. It was so much like his own. He didn't care if Harry was too old to be comforted by his father. He never had a chance to do this since he was dead all those years. It's not like Harry was objecting to the comforting anyway.

Harry laid awake in his father's arms. He eyelids began to feel heavy as James stroked his hair again. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but soon found it was a losing battle. James' heartbeat was so soothing; like a lullaby. Before Harry knew it, he had drifted off into sleep, still in James' arms.

James smiled down at the form of his son sleeping in his arms. He hadn't been able to put Harry to sleep like that since October of 1981. He detached his arms from Harry's body and gently laid him back onto the bed. Harry could have the bed tonight; Lily would understand. James summoned a blanket and placed it over Harry's slim body. Harry had gained some weight over the summer while staying with his parents, but he was still small for his age.

James would never say it, but he was worried about Harry. He knew Harry was almost an adult and could take care of himself, but he still had some doubts. He wondered if Harry would ever get to a healthy weight. Those Dursley's were pure evil; not feeding Harry enough. James wished Harry would let him hex them so badly it would be irreversible. It wouldn't be worth it to hex them without Harry's approval if it would cost him Harry's trust.

"Goodnight, Harry." whispered James.

He turned out the lights and walked out of the room. Maybe he'd go talk to Lily for a change. When he got down the stairs, he found Lily in the living room. She was on the couch reading the new Witch Weekly. James stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her.  
"James!" Lily laughed. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, I guess I'll have to make it up to you." said James pecking Lily on the cheek.

"James, what did you want?" asked Lily pulling away.

"Oh, yeah, Harry's sleeping in our bed tonight."

At this, Lily rose an auburn eyebrow.

"We were talking and he fell asleep. I didn't want to wake him up." James shrugged  
.  
"Oh, well, you'll have to grab a sleeping bag or something. I'm taking the couch."

James put on fake puppy dog eyes, causing Lily to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Don't even try that one on me, James Potter." Lily laughed tossing a pillow at James' head.

James dodged the pillow and jumped up onto the couch. He pinned Lily down with his arms and began kissing her face. Lily giggled and pulled James toward her, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're so beautiful, Lily." said James between a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They stayed like that the rest of the night; talking softly and snuggling on the couch. James soon fell asleep on top on Lily. Lily had fallen asleep long before, her arms still around James' neck.

* * *

**End note: **Well, I kept changing stuff in this chapter. James' reaction changed a lot. I just couldn't get it right. I had trouble with the ending, so you all are getting some lame Lily/James romance. Deal with it. Okay, I'm doing a check. Is my PG rating high enough or should I up it to PG-13? I really don't know. And yes, I do know this chapter was a bit fluffy and corny. Also, for those or you who don't think the Dursley's abused Harry, I'm sorry, but I think they did.  
Other thing, a lot of people really want me to add Sirius into the story, and I'd love to, but it just wouldn't work. I'd have to come up with a whol story or how he returned and do a trial and everything and it might ruin my plot or something... I just can't give you back Sirius. I may change my mind, but don't count on it.  
Another question for readers: Does anyone know if Katie Bell and Lee Jordan will be returning for Harry's 6th year? I know Alicia and Angelena graduated...  
Don't forget to vote on where you want the review responces.  
Chapter previews and other stuff located on the forums. Link in my profile.  



	13. Can't Change the Past

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not J.K. Rowling. My name is Michelle and this is just a fan fiction written for my own entertainment and now yours too.

Review Responses:

**Hye em yes: **Thank you. I was pretty sure about Lee, but not so sure about Katie, because she was on the team in Harry's first year and I'm not sure if seeker was the only position they filled that year.

**Eric2:** Thank you! That's a good suggestion, but I don't like making original characters, and I already know where I'm going with James and Harry in this story. I've actually written some of the later chapters.

**Hermione21: **Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

**Faith-Tse:** Good job on finding the responses. Sorry for causing all the trouble. J I _was_ going to add some swear words, but I think I'll try to keep them out. It's not worth changing the rating for that. Thanks for the help with Lee and Katie. Thanks for reviewing!

**Volleypickle16: **Thanks for reviewing! Hope this chapter is okay.

**Dweem-angel: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Sorry this chapter came so late. And it's so short... and sorry, I've been so busy.

**Katrina: **Thanks for reviewing! Sorry the update took so long.

**Born2driveat16: **Thanks for the Lee/Katie help. I think I'm going to keep the responses at the end of the chapter from now on. I actually am working on a Sirius not going through the veil AU, but I don't know if I'll ever put it up. Glad you liked the chapter.

**Krissygurl: **Everyone is saying Lee goes bye-bye, but Katie might be back. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do for that situation yet. Thanks for the help. Sorry this chapter took so long.

**Jenniebo: **Pimp? I hope that's good. Thanks for reviewing.

**HPprincess23: ** -sniff- Poor Harry. I actually go a little teary writing it. I like Harry and James as friends as well, so I speeded it up by... like the whole school year... causing me to change my outline, but oh well. It'll all work out it the end. Thanks for reviewing!

**Yaminy-grint4eva:** Did they? I was pretty sure Lee was, but I can't quote any of it from the book. Maybe I'll check later. Thanks for your help! Sorry to update is so late.

**Shadowrayne: **Thanks for the help!

**charmedfun: **I'm glad you like it. Hope you continue to read.

**Queerditch Marsh: **I always liked the theory that Harry was abused, so I'll probably use it a lot. Thanks for the Katie/Lee help! Thank you for reviewing!

**Stars Enchantress:** Thank you so much! I'm glad I finally wrote something along the lines of well. I think chapter 12 is my new favorite for this story. Yes, mush is awesome, but not everyone agrees with us, so I have to keep it to a minimum.

**I'd rather not say:** Seeing that you reviewed chapter one, I agree. I'd like to just delete that chapter. Over the summer, I started using 'said' less in my dialog and I think I've started writing less dialog as well. And yes, I agree so much, Dumbledore, as well as almost every character is out of character, but I was never really a fun of being really in character. Sorry. Thanks for the constructive criticism.

**Arianna: **I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Author's Note: **So sorry this chapter took me ages. I never though high school could be so hard. I have almost no computer time on school days, so I spend it catching up on reading fanfics first. Really, this fanfic is one of my priorities though. About Katie/Lee, I'm not sure if I'll keep Katie or not and I guess I'll have to replace Lee as announcing for Quidditch. Anyway, this is a really short chapter, but I hope you all still like it. I'll try to make chapter 14 longer.

* * *

**  
Chapter 13: Can't Change the Past**

Harry awoke the next morning thoroughly confused.

"What the..." he muttered as he noticed he was in his parents' bed.

Where were his parents and why was he in their bed? He got up and was relieved to hear the sound of frying bacon downstairs. He went into his room, grabbed a fresh change of clothes and took a short shower. He dressed quickly and headed downstairs to grab a piece of toast.

Harry was unsurprised to see James downstairs in the kitchen as usual. He wondered if his parents had jobs. Both seemed to always be home. '_Maybe they are just on holiday'_ Harry thought. Harry decided he should ask.

"Do you two have jobs?" asked Harry.

Both Lily and James seemed a bit started by this sudden question.

"What?" asked James.

"Do you work?" asked Harry again.

"You didn't tell him yet?" Lily hissed into James' ear so Harry couldn't hear. James didn't answer.

"Oh, well, your father's family is quite wealthy..." Lily finally said.

"We haven't needed to work. The money has been enough. We were both active members of the Order though. We still are members, but not as active."

"Oh," was all Harry could say.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Well, they meaning Harry. James just poked at his food with his fork. Harry shouldn't have had to ask about their careers at all, he should have known. After Harry finished his plate, he got up and left the table, not bothering to ask if he was excused.

He went upstairs in hope to formulate some plays for the Gryffindor Quidditch team early. He soon found that not knowing who would be a chaser next year would be a problem. He finally decided on making up a training plan for the team until school started and he knew exactly who was on the team. As he put his plan aside he wondered who the other captions would be. Slytherin would need a new captain.

"Harry!" came a voice from hallway.

Harry hesitated for a moment before getting up and walking out the door. He knew it had been James calling him, so he was in no hurry. He stopped in James' doorway and leaned against the frame.  
"What?" he asked impatiently. It wasn't the fact that Harry was busy that made him mad, because he wasn't doing anything anyway. It was the fact that James could have gotten up and bothered him instead of making Harry walk all the way down the hallway. Harry almost laughed at the thought of how lazy that sounded of him.

"Do you think you'd want to... hang out or something? Your mum went our for the afternoon and... I thought it might be fun..." James trailed off. He wasn't sure what Harry would think of the idea so soon.

"What would be do?" said Harry. He seemed a bit interested in the idea. Reading books had lost his interest the last time he was grounded.

"We could go flying?" James suggested.

Harry looked down at the ground, "You grounded me, remember?"

"You remember me saying until I say otherwise?"

"Yes,"

"Well, I say otherwise."

"But-"

"Don't make me change my mind, Harry. I think you've learned your lesson already."

"But it was only one full day-"

"I was surprised by how maturely you acted with the punishment. You did your letters, your essay and you even began showing me a lot of respect. If you don't think that's enough, I'd like to know how you could add on to it."

Harry grinned, "When can we leave?"

They both met at the bottom of the steps, broomstick in hand. Harry's Firebolt was shinning brightly from of the sun rays streaming through the window. He had just polished his handle a few days ago. James' Cleansweep 5 was looking as old as ever. A twig was poking out of the side and the wood was a dull shade of brown.

They both walked out the door and mounted their brooms. Harry, in a hurry to get back into the air, soared off before James had even finished mounting. The breeze was refreshing.

"Hey!" James called after him.

Harry stopped and doubled back to let James catch up. He _did_ have an unfair advantage with his Firebolt. They both flew slowly around the field together, exchanging stories of their childhood. James almost fell off his broom when Harry told him about the bars on his window before second year.

"Insane Dursley's..." James muttered as Harry blocked him from falling off the broom.

Harry nodded in agreement.

"Ron bailed me out though. Showed up with a car and took me to the burrow while the Dursley's were asleep."

"He sounds like a good friend."

"He is. He was my first real friend."

James was about to say something, but Harry cut him off.

"My cousin just frightened anyone who wanted to be my friend, that's all. Don't worry about it. I met Ron and Hermione at Hogwarts. We're good friends now"

"You were _eleven_! You're suppose to get friends years before that."

Harry shrugged, "I didn't really have time for friends anyway. We talked about this before, remember? A few days ago."

If that comment was intended to cheer James up, it failed badly. He frowned, but didn't dare press the subject farther. He knew pushing Harry into conversations like that could lose him his one chance.

"Oh, yeah, right... Sorry." mumbled James.

They continued to fly around in silence. James glanced at Harry every so often. When he knew Harry wasn't looking; he could get away with it. Around there 27th lap or so, Harry broke the silence.

"Is there a reason you keep staring at me?" Harry asked coolly.

'_He saw me?_' James thought hard for an excuse, but couldn't come up with a good one. "Not really."

"Oh, well, that helps." Harry added sarcastically.

James looked down, "I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"Well... I think... I don't get to see you much... having fun I mean. We need to do more fun activities."

"Like what? Our ideas of fun differ a bit I think."

James thought for a moment. "We both like Quidditch. Maybe we could..." James trailed off. Harry wouldn't want to do that. Too much attention.

"Maybe we could-" Harry pressed.

"Nothing, it's a stupid idea."

"I want to hear it anyway."

"I was thinking we could maybe have some of our friends over for a game of Quidditch." James flew down a bit lower from Harry.

"What?"

"I didn't think you'd want to... I was just thinking... That's okay, it was just a suggestion."

"No, that's a great idea! When can we have the game?" asked Harry.

James' eyes brightened. Harry flew down so he was beside James again. They began planning out the match and weren't finished with the plans until dusk. Lily had come out and scolded them for staying out flying so late.

"Lils, it's barely even dark yet..." James reasoned.

"I thought you grounded Harry."

"Yeah, I did, but-"

"You ungrounded him?" Lily asked.

The expression on James' face clearly said that he did.

"You're too soft for your own good sometimes, you know that?"

"Think of it in a good way. If I went so soft, I wouldn't have you."

Harry took this as his chance to leave the room unnoticed. His parents obviously hadn't noticed he was in he room at all to begin with. He rushed upstairs to write owls to Hermione and the Weasleys. James had asked him to send out the invitations for the match. They had decided on inviting all the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus, Luna, Neville, Tonks, Dean, Seamus and Oliver. Harry decided to write Ron first.

_**Ron,**_

_** How's it going at The Burrow? Everything's been okay here. For some reason, I'll already un-grounded. My dad is way to lenient sometimes, but I like it that way. Anyway, the reason I'm writing is because my dad and I would like to hold a Quidditch match against all of our friends. You, as well as Charlie, Bill, Ginny, Percy, Fred, George and your parents are all invited. Though I doubt Percy will show up... It's next Saturday. I hope you all can come. **_

_**-Harry**_

Harry took out another sheet of parchment to write to Hermione.

_**Hermione,**_

_** How are you? I hope you'll skip the lecture I know you want to give me. Believe me, I've had more than enough lectures already. My dad was furious, but he's gotten over it. I'm already ungrounded. **_

_** We've decided to hold a Quidditch match before summer break ends. It's next Saturday. I've already written to Ron about it. I really hope you'll come to watch at least. I know you won't want to play. **_

_**I'm sending this with Hedwig now. Send me a reply back with her. **_

_**-Harry**_

Harry scribbled Hermione name on the front of her letter and added Ron's name on his. He called Hedwig over and tied both pieces or parchment to her leg.

"Take these to Ron an Hermione. Wait for a reply from Hermione, because she doesn't have an owl."

Hedwig hooted in response and flew off out the window. Harry watched her form get smaller and smaller, until he could no longer see her. He suddenly felt a wave of tiredness sweep over him and sunk down into his bed. Flying was a lot more tiring than he though it was. He eyes closed and he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**End Note: **Next chapter: The Quidditch match most likely 


	14. Bring it on!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, but I don't.

Review Responses: 

**Hye em yes, HPprincess23, volleypickle16, Eric2, Star Enchantress, dreamer, Ingrid-Potter, Corinnetkn24, Shannon Snape: **Thank you!

**Paddy89: **Yeah, I agree. I can't wait to re-do all those first chapters. I personally like the stuff I wrote for when he's in school the best. Chances are I won't fit it in though. Oh well. Yay! Ron/Luna! Thanks for reviewing!

**Dweem-angel: **Hope you like the match. I tried.

**Faith-Tse:** Yup, yup, Remus is back! I love Remus almost as much as I love Sirius, so I have to put him sometimes. (Even if I make him out of character) I might add the Order, but I'm not sure yet. Thanks for the cookie/smiles/review!

**Lily-potter2010: **I think I may make Harry boarding the Hogwarts Express within the next two chapters, nut I don't know yet. I though of something I might want to add into the story now.

**Little Marauder: **Sorry, but then I fear everyone would think I ditched the fanfic because the update took so long. Thanks for reviewing!

...Nice name. Keeping it anonymous I guess. That's cool. Thank you so much, I've been trying to spell 'definitely' for soooo long! Thank you!

**Mrsean: **Everyone knows before Harry... because it was dramatic irony. Everyone knows something Harry doesn't Well, okay, covering up for my own bad writing. Yeah... I don't like the beginning of my story at all. Thanks for your comments of it.

**Ms dumplings: **Welcome, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for catching up.

**Sunnysparkles' Note: **Okay, you all notice I got lazy on review responses. Sorry, I wanted to get this chapter out fast. So sorry for the delay. I really have been busy with my social life and school. I honestly will try to get out another chapter soon, but I need to decide which way I'm going to take my plotline.  
Also, I know the beginning chapters are bad and I plan to re-do them someday. I also know a lot of people are out of character. I'm writing this fanfic for fun, so I'm writing the characters how I like them. But I'm working of some other fanfics that might be better (see my profile) Also, I've moved chapter previews to my LiveJournal. (link in my profile) Anyway... hope this chapter turned out okay. I lost a lot of the chapter when my computer frooze and tried to re-write. It didn't come out as well as I would have liked.  
Also, I just looked at my stats page and almost fell out of my chair 'You are on the author alert watch list of 46 members.' Thank you so much to everyone! I never expected to have so many.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Bring it On!**

Saturday came soon enough. Harry and James had spent a bit more time bonding than Harry would have liked , but Harry kept to his part of their deal. They had played chess, Quidditch and even visited Diagon Alley and that was just for yesterday. It's not that Harry hated his dad, but he really wanted his own space. James still couldn't take a hint.

"When did you say they'd be here?" James asked eagerly.

"They should be flooing in any minute now." Harry said absently mindedly. He had already answered this question about ten times in the last hour.

"Oh, right."

There was a bang coming from the fireplace and Harry jumped up quickly to greet his guest. Hermione was sitting in front of the fireplace, dusting off her robes. Harry grinned.

"It's been a while since I've flooed..." Hermione said apologetically.

Harry helped her up and waved away her apology.

"I still do that sometimes too."

"Ron here yet?" she asked.

"No, you're the first one. Remus should be apparating here soon though."

Harry led Hermione into to kitchen where both sat down the wait. Remus apparated in about five minutes later and after an hour everyone else, with the exceptions of Dean, Seamus and Oliver who were too busy to attend had arrived as well. Also, newly added the guest list was Kingsley, whom James had invited.. Harry had told his father about Kinglsey being in charge of the search for Sirius Black, and James wanted to thank him for all his work at keeping Sirius safe.

Once everyone was settled into the kitchen, they socialized for a while and had afternoon tea. Remus had pulled Harry aside while he was talking to Ron and Hermione. Harry, though a bit irritated by this, kept his opinion to himself. Remus was one person he respected.

"I'm proud of you, Harry." he said.

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. What had he done this time?

"For giving you dad a chance, Harry." Remus responded to Harry's look.

"Oh,"

"You don't know how much that meant to him... He loves you so much and it hurt him badly when you were pushing him away."

"I didn't think he cared. No one ever cared before."

"No one? Harry, lots of people care about you. Me, your dad, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, even Ginny. The whole Weasley clan cares about you. I'm sure deep down even the Dursley's cared."

"No, the Dursley's didn't."

"Well, then why are you taking the ones who do care for granted? Why do you just push us all away?

"I _don't_ push anyone away."

"Yes, you do. Are you denying that you kept avoiding your dad when he just wanted to help?"

"I... no... that's different. What about _you_ Remus? Why shouldn't I push you away? It's not like _you _were here for me all those years. My only connection to my family all those years, and I didn't even know you until my third year at Hogwarts. If you care so much about me, where were you all those years?"

"Harry," Remus reasoned. "I wasn't allowed near you. The-Boy-Who-Lived talking to a werewolf. Fudge would have _never _allowed it. Too much of a safety precaution to him. Do you honestly think I didn't want to come and see you or take you in?"

"I don't really know anymore."

"I would have loved to take you in or go see you at the very least. I tried, but it was useless. Not to mention I could barely live with myself at the time. All my friends were gone in the blink of an eye.

"I came inside from my transformation one day and picked up the Daily Prophet to read the headline, 'Potters betrayed by Black'. I read on to hear Lily and James were dead, Sirius betrayed them and killed Peter and then Sirius was sent off to Azkaban. Then, you were left as an orphan and sent to live with your relatives. I was crushed. Everyone was gone and I never had a chance to say goodbye. Everyone, except you Harry. Going to see you would have been going to far. You just looked so much like James... but now I know you are both very different." Remus added hurriedly.

The glare Harry gave at this could have frightened Voldemort even. He wasn't even sure why he was so mad at Remus. There really were laws against it and Harry knew them quite well for being still a bit new to the wizarding world. He was being pretty inconsiderate, but he didn't care.

"Always compared to my dad, aren't I? Do you even care about _me?_ Or do you think of me as another James?"

Remus' expression changed from disappointment to sadness. Did Harry really feel that way? Harry didn't even know he felt that way himself. His outburst surprised himself a little.

"Harry, no! Of course I care about you!"

"Just drop it." Harry said and went off to go get his Firebolt.

Remus just stood there for a moment, thunderstruck. Was Harry mad at him? What was going on? He never thought anything of this before, unless he just never said anything. He'd have to go ask James about it ...after the game at least.

Both teams were assembled in the backyard waiting for the match to start. The teams would be the Bolts: Harry, Ron, James, Remus, Ginny, Fred and George against the Blazers: Charlie, Luna, Hermione, Bill, Neville, Kingsley and Tonks. Lily decided to sit and keep score. James stood up and began to tell everyone the rules.

"This is just a friendly match. It doesn't matter who wins or loses. Just do your best and have fun."

Charlie, the other teams captain for the match nodded and both teams mounted their brooms. Lily released the bludgers and the snitch, then counted to three and released the quaffle, starting the match. James immediately gained possession of the scarlet colored ball as Harry soared up out of the way to look for the snitch. He caught Charlie's eye from across the pitch and knew he had a challenging opponent. He could honestly say he wasn't sure if he'd win this one.

Harry looked around more and saw Luna was soaring in front of the Blazers' goal, staring dreamily as usual. Hermione and Neville, who were playing against there better judgment, were wobbling around trying to keep hold of their brooms. Bill was trailing closely behind James, trying to obtain the quaffle, while Kingsley and Tonks were hitting the bludgers towards _him_. Harry soared up quickly and just managed to miss the hit. He needed to be much more alert.

James passed the quaffle to Remus who quickly tossed in into the middle hoop of Luna's goal earning the Bolts 10 points. Luna snapped out of her dreamy state and threw to ball back to Bill who caught it and jolted back towards Ron's goal as fast as his Cleansweep 6 could take him. Fred was ready for this and hit a bludger his way. It smacked Bill on his left side and he dropped the quaffle. Ginny, who had been under Bill caught it and turned 180 degrees flying back towards Luna's goal. Neville, who was losing control of his broom almost slammed into her and she threw the quaffle sideways. James caught it and continued the path to Luna's goal. He tossed in through the right hoop and scored the Bolts another 10 points, making the score 20-0.

Luna stared off in Ron's direction before tossing the quaffle to Bill once again. Bill passed it to Hermione who had finally gained control of her broom. She hovered for a moment before taking off toward Ron. A bludger came hurtling her way and she tossed the quaffle back to Bill. Bill caught it and threw it in. Ron barely missed the save, but still, the Blazers earned their first ten points. The score was now 20-10.

Ron threw the ball to James. He passed it to Remus who passed it to Ginny and then Ginny passed back to James. James attempted a goal through the middle hoops, but then Luna _saved_ it. James took on a look of disappointment as Bill cheered.

That's when Harry saw it. The golden snitch was hovering just a few feet above George. He charged towards it, but soon Charlie caught on and flew towards it as well. Harry reached out his arm. Just a few more feet... Charlie was trailing less than an inch behind him. They were soon neck and neck, both arms extended. Harry gave a huge leap, falling off his broom. He landed on the grass and stretched out his arm, revealing the wings of a golden snitch. Lily blew a whistle and the game ended 170-10.

Everyone flew down and congratulated each other on a good game. The Bolts all praised Harry's catch. Harry got up and congratulated Charlie on his skills. He had to admit the game was close.  
Once everyone had finished talking about the game, they heading home. Everyone except Remus who James had insisted stay for dinner and overnight to discuss some plans for the Order. Harry had quickly headed to his room, insisting that he wasn't hungry yet. James didn't quite buy it, and asked Remus what was up with his son. He had seen them talking before the game.

"He just started accusing me of not caring about him out of the middle of nowhere. I didn't even realize he was bothered by it before then." Remus explained.

"Did you explain to him that you couldn't see him, because of your 'condition'?" James checked.

"Yeah, and then he just got angrier. Said I could have seen him anyway." said Remus.

James nodded in understanding. "He did that kind of stuff to me too at first."

"So... should I just wait on him to talk to me again then?"

James furrowed his brow for a moment, then replied, "No, I think we should teach him a lesson."

"What do you mean, Prongs?"

"I mean, we need to teach Harry that we do care about him."

"And how do you expect us to do that?"

"Ignore him for a while."

"And that would work how, Prongs? Sounds more like it would make him think we hate him."

"Because, Moony, he is so used to us fussing over him, that if we don't do it, he'll realize how much we really do care for him when we do it."

"Are you sure that will work?"

"It's worth a try. I'm not quite sure how his mind works, but if he's anything like me, it'll work."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair. Minus the small talk going between Lily, Remus and James, the table was quiet. Harry had excused himself from the table without saying a single word. This wasn't that unusual seeing that no one had asked him anything to get him to talk in the first place.

After dinner, Remus and James headed into the living room. They had a quick discussion of what they'd be doing for the Order this week, before getting back onto the topic of Harry. They were careful to keep their voices down so that Lily and Harry wouldn't hear.

Meanwhile, Harry was upstairs in his room stroking Hedwig's white feathers. There wasn't much else to do. He was so used to spending his whole day cleaning and his nights doing homework, but that wasn't an option anymore. He had a mother that cleaned everything and a family that let him do he homework ahead of time. A family... He never thought that term would describe his life. It's crazy how fast his life had changed. One day he was mourning the death of Sirius and the next day he was moving in with his parents. It was almost too good to be true.

Speaking of family though... where had James gone to? Isn't it about time he came to bother Harry? Maybe he was just busy discussing the Order with Remus still. But he hadn't talked to Harry all over dinner either. Same with Remus, not that he was surprised by Remus' quietness.  
He _had_ been yelling at him.  
  
But what about James? Was he mad or something? Harry needed to find out. Something was not right. If he was mad at Harry, he would have came and scolded him by now.  
  
Harry got up and let Hedwig outside to hunt. He'd worry about this is the morning. The match had really worn him out and he didn't want to go intruding on his father and Remus while they were working on something important. He was probably just being stupid anyway. Maybe nothing had changed and he was a bit paranoid. He thought about this as he laid down and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, James and Remus were downstairs discussing different Order plans. They were currently debating whether of not they wanted to try and convince Dumbledore to let Harry to join. Remus was sadly losing the argument badly.

"He's too young!" James said repeatedly.

"He wouldn't be doing any missions, just listening in on meeting." Remus countered.

"He'll want to go fight!"

"Then we won't let him."

"You know how Harry is. He'll go anyway."

Remus rubbed his temples in agitation. This was going nowhere. James just wouldn't give in, would he? Harry was already sixteen years old. He could join soon enough anyway.

"Fine, it's your choice Prongs. But consider it at least. You heard the prophecy. Harry needs to know what Voldemort is up to now more than ever."

James nodded.

"Not to mention, Harry has a lot of information to offer."

"I guess, but couldn't we just get that without having him in the Order?"

"He'd be reluctant to give it out."

James silently agreed. Harry could be so stubborn sometimes. '_He must get it from Lily_' he mused. She certainly could be extremely stubborn sometimes. James thought back to when he asked her out in 4th year.  
  
_ James held out a lily flower and stood in front of the entire Great Hall. Lily barely glanced at him. He got in front of her and handed her the flower. The whole Hall grew quiet._

"_Evans, you're so beautiful. I- I love you so much. Will you go out with me?" young James stuttered. The passion was evident in his voice though._

_Lily just glared at him. "You love me like you loved the last six girls, Potter? I'm not that stupid. I'm not going to fall for your trick. You think your so great, but you're just an arrogant prat to me!"  
_

_"It's not like that, Evans! I've never felt this way about anyone else before! I love you!"_

"_I'm sure you do." Lily said sarcastically. She picked up her books and marched out of the Great Hall._

_ James frowned and sat back down beside Sirius as chatter broke out in the Great Hall again. It would take a while for him to live through this one.  
_

_"I don't understand her!" James fumed. "Any other girl would have be dying to go out with me."_

"_She's not any other girl though, Prongs." Sirius said sympathetically. _

"_What does she want from me? I'm trying so hard!"_

"_Just give it time."_

James smiled at the memory. Sirius was always there for him. Especially after he was turned down by Lily. And that was quite often too.

"Prongs?" Remus asked. "Are you listening?"

"What? Oh... sorry, I was thinking."

"I was talking about what we're going to do about Harry."

"Oh," said James. "about what?"

"Joining the Order."

James shook his head, "He's not joining."

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

James shrugged, "I just don't want him joining yet. Maybe another time."

"Fine, we'll talk about this another time." Remus agreed. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night now anyway."

"'Night, Moony." James yawned.

Remus went upstairs to the guest bedroom. He frowned a bit as he passed Harry's door. He just didn't understand that kid. He was very tempted to go against the plan and go talk to Harry, but quickly put that thought aside. '_Maybe tomorrow though_' Remus thought as he got ready for bed.

The next morning Harry was up bright and early. He starred out the window a moment watching the sunrise. He could hear Lily downstairs already starting the bacon and eggs for breakfast. Hopping off the bed, he made his way downstairs. He was surprised to see James already at the table sipping a mug of coffee.

"You're up early today." Harry mused.

"Mmmhmm" James responded.

Just then, a thump was heard from upstairs. James laughed before setting down his coffee and going to see if Remus was alright. Before he made it Remus came down the steps rubbing his side.

"Fall off the bed again, Moony?" James teased.

Remus glared at him, but his smile gave him away. "Well, the bed was awfully high up... Forgot I wasn't at my own house."

James grinned, "I'm sure that's it."

They both made it into the kitchen. When they walked in Harry broke out in a fit of laughter. Remus looked questioningly at James. Soon James realized what Harry was laughing at and starting laughing himself.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked.

"Not much of a morning person these days, are you, Moony?" James joked.

"I wish I had a camera right now!" Harry exclaimed.

"What?"

"You're hair is _everywhere_!" said Harry. "And I thought _my_ hair was messy."

Remus turned red, making Harry laugh harder.

"I don't think it's _that_ funny."

"You're not the one looking at it."

Remus stomped off into the bathroom defeated. Harry could hear him laughing as well once he took a glance at himself in the mirror. Asking a good combing, his hair looked okay and he went back out to eat breakfast. Harry, he noticed had regained himself and was idly buttering a slice of toast.

"That's a lot better." James said as Remus sat down.

Remus ignored him and began buttering his own slice of toast. Breakfast continued with many conversations between Lily, James and Remus. Harry was beginning to feel left out. He knew his parents knew they were ignoring him. He just wanted to know why. He coughed loudly getting Lily and Remus' attention, but not James'.

"Would someone care to tell me _why_ you all are _ignoring_ me?" he asked coolly.

Remus and James exchanged glances before Remus said, "I'm not sticking to the plan anymore, Prongs. I think me and Harry should talk about this."

"Well, it's your choice, Moony." said James.

Harry just looked at him quizzically, "Talk about what, Remus?"

Remus shifted a little in his seat, "Just a few concerns of mine." he said casually.

Harry rose an eyebrow, "What kind of concerns? Why don't we just discuss it now?"

"After breakfast." Remus responded ending the conversation.

Harry impatiently tapped his foot waiting for Remus to finish eating. What did he want to talk about this time? It seemed like there was a new problem every day. It was starting to annoy Harry too. As if he didn't have to talk about enough 'concerns' with his father already.

When Remus finished, Harry practically dragged him out of the room and outside. Remus didn't really mind. Whatever made Harry happy worked for him at the moment. Harry sat down in the yard a few meters away from the house so that his parents couldn't spy on him. Remus followed suit.

"What?" Harry asked.

Remus was a bit taken aback by Harry's tone, but responded, "I want some answers."

"About what?"

"Why didn't you express your feelings about guardianship sooner? Why are you suddenly mad at me now? Why is it that every time someone makes reference to your father, you get angry?"

Harry looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I just do! I don't know why! I didn't tell you sooner, because I didn't even know it was bothering me."

"How can you not know something is bothering you?" Remus asked seriously.

"I don't know, okay?" said Harry. "I have no idea why! I just didn't."

Remus nodded in understanding. He'd had those times when he couldn't explain why he thought something before. He just wanted to make sure Harry wasn't lying, and judging by Harry's difficulty with the question, he was obviously telling the truth.

"Well, if you don't know, then I won't pressure you into answering." said Remus. "But if you ever need to clear something up with me, don't hesitate to come talk to me about it next time."

"Right," Harry nodded.

Harry got up to leave, but Remus stopped him before he made it to the door.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still mad at me?"

Harry shook his head and smiled, "I do know how to forgive people you know."

With that, he walked inside and into his room. Remus followed suit a few minutes later thinking about how many mood swings Harry has. He smiled to himself at the thought of Harry as a mini-Lily. Yes, he looks like James and acts like Lily. Remus had a quick conversation with James about how it all turned out with Harry, before he flooed home.

"Your plan didn't work very well." Remus smirked.

"That was the plan. To get Harry to come to you instead of you to him."

"But he didn't really come to me."

"Yeah, but we let him realized there was a problem for once."

"Yeah, I suppose." said Remus. "Anyway, I should get going. I need to go over a few reports tonight and you know how it is when it's close to the full moon. Don't forget to think about what we talked about last night."

"I'll think about it, but my decision stands. Bye Moony."

Remus grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it down, disappearing in a mass of green flames.

**Next Chapter: **I have no idea yet actually. I'm thinking I may want to re-do my story outline at the moment. I'll try to update soon though.


	15. Tough Decisions

**Disclaimer: **I still do not own Harry Potter...

Reviews:

**Volleypickle16, born2driveat16, corinnetkn24 and Harry'sbabygirl:** Thank you!

**Eric2: **Yeah, I probably did, but I wanted to move the story along and not have like 6 chapters of Harry being mad at Remus. Thanks!

**Pad's gurl584:** I'm curious... Are you even reading my story or just advertising?

**Beth5572:** I hope it's a happy ending too, but I haven't really decided yet.

**Sunnysparkles' Note: **I guess my laziness as far as updating goes has lost me a lot of readers? Thanks very much to all my loyal readers still reading. I'm writing this story just for all of you at the moment. Sorry this chapter's short, but I wasn't sure how long it'd take me to write what comes next and I really want to continue Hopes and Dreams now. Hope you all enjoy it still. 

**Chapter 15: Tough Decisions**

James slouched down onto the couch to think. Maybe it was about time Harry joined the Order. Remus had a good point. He _did_ need to know the information about Voldemort. He could use some of the special Order communication tools as well.

There were some disadvantages of Harry joining as well though. What if he hears too much information? What if he does try to go fight? He'd certainly throw a fit over it if he wasn't allowed to fight. But maybe him joining would be for the best. James decided he should discuss this with Lily first, and if she agrees they'll talk to Dumbledore about it as well.

'_I'll worry about it later' _James decided. He sprawled his body across the couch, wanting to relax. Remus had spent what seemed like forever trying to persuade him last night.

"James?" Lily called.

'_So much for relaxing..._' James thought at he got up to see what his wife needed.

"What was all that about earlier?" she asked referring to the breakfast incident.

James shrugged, "Harry and Remus had a fight, but they sorted it out I think."

Lily sighed, "He really does that a lot."

"I've gotten used to it." James said nonchalantly.

"So... Did you discuss any Order plans with Remus?" Lily asked hoping for a subject change. It had almost the desired affect. James shifted his weight to the other side for a moment.

"Uh... yeah, sort of."

"Anything I should know about?" the red-head asked.

"Well... I know you think it's a bad idea and I do too, but maybe it'd be for the best since he needs to know some of that information and he can give us some information. I didn't really like the idea, but Remus brought it up and..."

""James, just say it!" Lily demanded.

"We think Harry should join the Order."

"He's not old enough!" Lily shrieked. "He's only sixteen years old!"

"And he's done more than the majority of the Order members have done if their lifetimes already."

"He can't join! He'll get hurt!" Lily protested.

"I never said _I_ _wanted_ him to join, Lily. I think it may be for the best though. We won't let him go out and fight, just listen on the meetings. He needs to know the latest on the Death Eaters movements if he's going to have to battle Voldemort soon."

Lily considered this for a moment. Harry would want to go out and join the fight. It would be hard to keep him out of it for sure. But James had a point, Harry needed the information. As much as she'd like to deny it, Harry will have to defeat Voldemort soon.

"What makes you think he won't try to go fight?" Lily asked.

"I didn't say he wouldn't try to, but we just won't let him."

"Oh, yes, that will work great. '_Harry, you must stay home and let the rest of us go battle the Death Eaters ourselves. You're just not old enough to fight yourself.'_ I can see it now, James. All we'll manage to get is a big argument with him."

"If we tell him to stay home, I think he'll listen. And if he doesn't, he obviously would have went off to fight if he wasn't in the Order as well anyway. We really have nothing to lose and everything to gain letting him join."

"Yes, but-" Lily couldn't think of another defense for herself, so she settled for another approach. "Dumbledore won't allow it. He had strict rules for these types of things."

"Strict rules he can bend for Harry's sake."

"They were put in place for Harry's safety, James!" Lily argued.

"You know what, Lily? I think we should just go discuss this with Dumbledore."

"We should."

"And if he agrees Harry is joining."

"If Dumbledore thinks it's a good idea, then I'll take his side." Lily agreed. "He knows what is best for Harry more than we do probably. We don't really know Harry well yet."

James went off and flooed Dumbledore about having the meeting. An hour later, Lily and James were both sitting in armchairs in Dumbledore's office. Harry was left at home spending 'Quality time' with Remus. James knew that meant Remus was sharing stories of the Marauder days with Harry. Despite how Harry acted about the revelation of his father's past as a prankster, James knew he loved hearing about their adventures.

Harry surprisingly asked no questions about why his parents were meeting with Dumbledore at such sudden notice. James figured his son just assumed it was Order business and he had no business in it. He was half right if he had. They were discussing Order business, yes, but it was _all_ about Harry and may soon be his business.

Dumbledore sat down and put his hands together. He gazed at Lily and James thoughtfully.

"What can I do for you two today?" he asked serenely.

James turned to Lily and she gave a look that clearly said he was going to be doing the talking. He sorted his thought out in his head quickly. At the while, Dumbledore continued to gaze at him.

"Well," James began. "Lily and I were talking this morning, and Remus and I discussed this last night and well, we think it's about time Harry joined the Order."

Before Dumbledore could respond, James continued, "Before you say no, I think you should take some things into consideration. Harry is going to have to duel Voldemort very soon possibly, so I think it's best that he knows what's going on. If Harry was made a member, I also think he'd be less reluctant about giving us information as well. It's also be easier to keep an eye or Harry and we could lift some of the ridiculous security cautions that are driving him crazy if we gave him some of the communication tools Order members use. He could also use these to call for help if he ever got into a bad situation with Death Eaters or something.

"I know you said no one under seventeen could join, but Harry's already sixteen, so why not just let the rule slide one year. We don't have to let all his friends join, just him. We could have him swear not to tell anyone he was a member too. We wouldn't let him fight either, only listen in. And-"

"James," Dumbledore interrupted and James stopped for a moment. "If I may cut in, you needn't go on."

James thought this meant there was no way Harry could join. He looked up into Dumbledore's eyes and saw they were twinkling though. If he was going to say no, his eyes would be anything but twinkling at the moment.

"I quite agree, James. I daresay it's about time Harry joined the Order." said Dumbledore. "That is, if Lily had no objections."

"As long as he isn't out fighting, I think it's okay for him to join." Lily gave in. "If you're sure he's ready to be inducted..."

"I assure you he is more ready than some of our older members."

"Well then, now that that is all settled, when is the induction?" James asked.

"I'm sure you'd like him to be inducted before term starts up. We will both be rather busy then."

"Of course"

"How about nest Wednesday then? Then he can go to his first meeting right away."

"Wednesday is the Full moon, Sir. I don't want Remus to miss Harry's induction."

"Right¼ Then Saturday? We'll have a meeting then as well."

"Sounds okay to me. What about you Lily?" James asked.

"Sure," Lily said, still a bit reluctant about Harry joining.

Meanwhile at Godric's Hollow, Harry and Remus were curled up on the living room recliners. Remus had finished going over his reports a lot of earlier than he expected and came to spend some time with Harry while Lily and James were out. They didn't say why they were going to see Dumbledore, but Remus had a feeling it had to do with Harry joining the Order. Remus hoped Dumbledore agreed to it if that's what they went to see him about.

"What happened next?" Harry asked. Remus hadn't realized he paused in the middle of his story.

"Well, McGonagall was obviously furious with us all for ruining her office, especially your dad and Sirius since they pulled these stunts so often. Peter and I got a week of detention and your dad and Sirius shared a month's worth. After that we decided to be a bit more careful in planning our pranks. We also had to think up a new way to get back at Snape and the rest of the Slytherins for ratting us out. I guess we shouldn't have set off those fireworks in their hallway until after they went to sleep. It was one of our first pranks though, which is why the fireworks ended up circling the entire school."

Harry laughed imagining the scene that happened when Fred and George set off their own fireworks. Watching Umbridge trying to destroy them, but only making them multiply was priceless. This next year wasn't going to be the same without Fred and George there to entertain. Before Harry could ask what they did at their detentions, Lily and James came back through the fire accompanied by Dumbledore.

"We need to talk, Harry." James said. "You're not in trouble, it's something else." James said when Harry gave him a look saying, '_What did I do this time?'_

"You can stay too, Remus. This may involve you as well." Dumbledore told Remus who was grabbing Floo Powder to leave.

Remus sat back down in his favorite overstuffed armchair. Harry just looked from one person to another, wondering what they all wanted with him. Lily, James and Dumbledore all sat down on the couch slowly. Harry noticed his mum looked a bit tense.

"Harry," Dumbledore stated. "We think it's time you joined the Order of the Phoenix."

**End Note:** I'm sure you can guess the next chapter yourself. I may finally add in school in about 2-4 chapters as well.


	16. So Now I Can Join?

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Harry Potter…

Reviews:  
**Volleypickle16, Stars Enchantress, Beth5572, Allie, the 1 hp fan, Happyherminchen: **Thanks to all of you!

**pad's gurl584:** Sorry! I thought you were one of those people who come by and advertise without reading my story. I'm glad you're a reader. Thank you.

**Eric2: **Haha, thanks, I love that! But, I think I'd have to up my rating if I used that kind of language, which is something I've been debating for a while. Thanks for reviewing!

**Born2driveat16: **Oh, I know what you mean! Author Alerts in my inbox are always so exciting. Hope I can let you see them from me more often. Thanks for reviewing!

**HPprincess23: **Yeah, I debated with myself for a while about the Order thing, but I decided it'd come useful later in the story. Thanks for reviewing!

**Fornax: **Whoa, a lot of reviews! Yay! No, no Sirius in this story. I did consider it though. Yes, I agree, Harry does get really childish in my story. (I hate my first few chapters so much.) I think it gets better in the more current chapters. A is acceptable. D is dreadful. P is poor. I love angst, but I don't think I'll add much in the story. Thanks for reviewing!

**Sunnysparkles' note: **I'm sure you've all heard Half-Blood Prince is coming July 16, 2005. That means I'm going to have to pick up the pace on my fanfics. I'm sorry I took like 2 months with this chapter, and I'm sorry it's not my best work. I really wanted this up before Christmas, but it's here now. All 3,000 words of it. (Longer than most of my chapters) I hope the length makes up for the delay. I would've made it longer, but I wanted to get it out fast. Now, I'm off to work on Hopes and Dreams.

* * *

**Chapter 16: So Now I Can Join? **

**  
**"What?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

He could have sworn he was just asked to join the Order. The offer just seemed too good to be true though. He'd been begging to be let in for the last year. The fact that he was now being asked to join just seemed so… odd.

"We think it's about time you joined." said James. "If you want to, that is."

Harry was getting a bit suspicious. Why did they have the sudden change of mind? Were they keeping something from him? And how did they get Lily to agree on this too?

"What's with the sudden change of mind?" Harry asked. "Just last week you said I couldn't join."

"We just thought… It'd be safer for you if you were a member. With Voldemort on the rise and all…" James said a little unsurely.

"We?" Lily argued. "More like you and Remus!"

"Alright, me and Remus thought it was good idea and Dumbledore has agreed."

Harry looked around at everyone's faces. They seemed serious about this. He had no intention to decline the offer of course, but he was still a bit suspicious.

"What's the catch? I know you don't want me as a full member." Harry asked.

"Well, yes…" James said slowly. "You won't be allowed to fight unless you are attacked. And you can't tell _anyone_ you're a member."

"Not even Ron and Hermione? Why?"

"It's obvious they'll want to join too." Remus said.

"You have to promise not to tell a single person, Harry." James said seriously. "Or else we can't let you join."

Harry just nodded.

"You'll be free to listen in on all the meetings though. We'll also be giving you some of the Order equipment in case of emergency." Dumbledore said.

"What about when Hogwarts starts again? How will I get to the meetings?"

Dumbledore looked over to James. The look James gave him said he obviously hadn't told Harry yet. He'd need a quick, but honest answer for Harry.

"We'll find a way to get you there. Some meetings are held in my office anyway. I'd keep you informed of how to make it to the meeting."

Harry just nodded again. He'd have to think about this. Keeping a secret from Ron and Hermione would be tough. They'd get curious about him being gone whenever there was a meeting. But it'd be worth it to know more about Voldemort. He had to do this.

"I want to join." Harry said finally.

"And you promise not to tell anyone?" James asked again.

"Not a single person outside of the Order can know, Harry." Remus said sternly.

"I'll keep it a secret."

"Well, then, your induction will be Saturday followed by your first meeting. I need to get back to Hogwarts for now. A lot of planning still needs to be done before the school year starts. See you Saturday Harry, Remus, James, Lily." said Dumbledore.

After Dumbledore left, Harry just sat there in shock. He was going to join the Order… He was joining the Order of the Phoenix! He couldn't believe it. Nor, apparently, could his mum. She just sat staring off into space. Why had she let James talk her into this? Harry was going to get hurt!

James was equally silent. He never expected Dumbledore to accept himself either. There was no turning back now though. Harry had accepted the offer. Unless, he changed his mind before the Induction. He could not swear himself in, and things would go back to the way they were before. But, James was happy about Harry joining. It was Lily he was worried about.

He _knew_ she didn't want Harry joining. She just gave in because of the majority rule. She didn't think it'd be safe for Harry to be a member. James would definitely have to reassure her he'd be a lot safer in the Order. How he wasn't sure yet.

Everyone was pulled out of there thoughts by a loud cough from Remus.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this… silence, but if we're all just going to sit here all day, I'm leaving."

James was the first to snap out of his trace. Lily and Harry followed shortly after. Remus just laughed at the looks on their faces. He had to be the only one not lost for words about Harry joining the Order. Perhaps the fact that it was his idea had something to do with that though.

"Sorry, Moony." James said apologetically. "It's just… I can't believe it. Harry joining the Order… I didn't expect this to happen so soon. I mean, I certainly didn't think Dumbledore would have really let him join…"

"So you don't really want me to join?" Harry interrupted. He seemed a bit angry.

"No, no, I mean, I wanted you to join. I'd been thinking about it a while. You're more prepared to be a member than half the people we have in the Order as it is. I just didn't think Dumbledore would really bend the underage rule."

"Look, if you don't want me to join, just say something."

"It's your mum who is reluctant about you joining, not me." James said aggravated, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Harry turned to his mother. "If you don't want me joining, tell me."

"No, no, no, I didn't mean it that way… I mean, I want you to join… It's just…" Lily struggled with her words.

"You think I'm going to get hurt." Harry finished for her. His mum was so predictable sometimes.

"No, I just… Yeah." Lily agreed.

"I'll be fine." Harry assured her.

It was a true statement. Harry was convinced himself that this joining wouldn't affect his safety at all. If it did, it'd mean making him much safer than ever before at least. James _had_ said he wouldn't be able to fight anyway, so what was there to worry about?

"I know, I know, but sometimes I just worry about it, Harry." Lily said.

"I won't be fighting." Harry assured her. He wasn't sure if he meant it though. He wanted to fight so badly. He'd try to find a way to get to battle. For now, though, he had to tell his mum he wouldn't fight. "At least, no more than I had been before. You know about the Prophecy. I have to fulfill it someday."

Lily nodded. "I know a bit of it. Your dad told me some a few nights ago."

"Just about how you have to duel Voldemort." James added.

"I don't have a choice for my future. I have either kill or be killed by Voldemort." Harry agreed. "There's no way I'll ever be completely safe. You'll just have to deal with that sometime. I need to join and get the information I need to prepare me for this duel."

Lily just nodded. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her Harry, her little baby, would have to fight Voldemort. She had known this before, of course, but hearing Harry say it now had made it final. There was no turning back and no going back in time. There would be a duel eventually, and nothing could change that.

"He'll be safe, Lily. I know I'll be looking out for him, and I'm sure everyone else will too. You know Order members always look out for each other." Remus said seriously.

"Moony's right, Lily, he'll be okay." James added.

"You're right. I'm just being stupid." said Lily.

"There's nothing stupid about wanting to keep your son safe." Remus said gently.

The conversation went on until everyone decided that Harry would, in fact, be able to join the Order. Lily had finally been convinced that her son would be safe. After all of it had been sorted out, they had tea and Remus went home. Harry went to bed that night ready to count down the days until he would finally be inducted.

Wednesday came and James had left early in the evening to go with Remus. He hadn't returned until the next morning. When he walked in, he was carrying an exhausted Remus and looked just as bad himself. Lily had hurriedly conjured up a bed for Remus and hustled James up to sleep as well. Remus, Harry noted, looked awful. It had to have been a rough night last night.

When James finally woke up, it was mid-afternoon. He had a gash across his cheek. This has startled Harry at first. The first thing he did when James sat down to drink some tea with him was ask about it.

"Bad night yesterday?" Harry asked.

"Awful." James agreed. "We went into a nearby forest for the transformation, and got attacked by a not-so-friendly werewolf. Apparently, Remus isn't the only werewolf in the around there. Luckily he just scratched me, but Moony got it pretty bad. The wolf bit him and cracked his left arm. I don't think we were very welcome there."

Harry nodded in agreement. They should have went to the Shrieking Shack. Remus was pretty weak before transformations though, so a Portkey or Floo was out of the question. Harry thought about this as he finished his tea, then retreated to his room to think about the Induction again. He didn't understand why he was so nervous about it; he wasn't really the nervous type. Still, he was stressed out by it.

Remus was finally up again by Friday morning. He looked better than he did when James brought him in, but still a bit scratched up. Both Harry and Lily had fussed over his injuries. James just laughed about it. He had definitely seem his friend much, much worse. For instance, Remus had really bit himself bad the night Padfoot had sent Snape into the Shack.

"No really, Lily, I'm fine, but thanks anyway."

"No, no, believe me, Harry, I've had worse."

It took a lot of persuasion, but Lily and Harry were finally convinced Remus was okay by lunch. Remus _had _allowed Lily to perform a small healing spell on his cracked left arm, but other than that, he was left alone. The other wolf had snapped it with his jaws. At least, that's what James had said. Remus didn't remember much of the night himself. The rest of the night went by fairly quietly, not to mention quickly.

Saturday had finally arrived. Harry's feelings were both excited and nervous. He wanted to join, but at the same time he didn't. His mum, of course, was making a huge deal out of it. She made sure everyone was wearing their nicest robes for the occasion. She went as far as going out to buy Remus new robes. Remus had declined the offer at first, but in the end agreed to let Lily purchase them, promising to pay her back when he could. He didn't want to look shabby at his best friend's son's Induction to the Order of the Phoenix.

While everyone else was getting ready, Harry was upstairs in his room pacing. He hoped he wouldn't have to make a speech or anything. He wasn't prepared for that. He knew one thing for sure though; he'd have to prove to the Order that he wasn't just a kid anymore. He wanted them to never regret their decision the let him join. He was determined to act as an adult while he was a member.

"Harry, we need to get going." Lily called from downstairs.

Harry pushed his thoughts aside and made his way down the stairs. This was it; his Induction was just a Portkey away. Oh, how he hated Portkeys. He couldn't act like a baby now though. He promised himself he'd act as an adult.

After earning an approving look from his parents about his attire, he grabbed onto the Phoenix statue, his hand to the right of Remus' hand. James' placed his hand to the right of Harry's. Lily grabbed on last, and Harry felt the very familiar feeling of being pulled behind his navel. There was no turning back now.

They landed in a place Harry had become very familiar with over his last few years: Dumbledore's office. Harry almost fell over from the force of the Portkey, but Remus caught him. The werewolf laughed. Harry thought he probably looked a bit green right now. That was not his best Portkey experience. He felt like they were spinning a lot along the way.

"I take it you're not very fond of Portkeys?"

Harry shook his head, "Not really,"

"Well, better get used to them while you can, because you'll be using them a lot, until you can Apparate, and we get you an anti-tracking charm."

Harry groaned. They could have told him this before. It was a whole year until he could even _apply _for an Apparating license, let alone get one. Remus was right, he was going to have to get used to Portkeys, and quickly.

When Harry finally looked around, he noticed they were nowhere near being alone. A quick glance made him take in flashes of red. Looking closer, he saw that Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Molly and Arthur Weasley were there. Another glance around the room told him that Mad-Eye Moody, Professor McGonagall, Mundungus, Tonks, and Kingsley were there. Also, to Harry's displeasure, Professor Snape was there as well, scowl firmly in place. Harry had the idea he was forced to come and wait for the meeting.

"Welcome, welcome, Harry, James, Lily, Remus." Dumbldore suddenly announced.

The rest of the room grew quiet. Even the Weasley twins stopped their snickering, and everyone turned their attention to their leader. Lily, James and Remus all sat down in their regular seats at the end of the table, across from the twins, leaving Harry standing alone with Dumbledore.

"If you'll follow me, Harry, we'll start the Induction." Dumbledore announced. "Just folled my instructions."

Harry followed his headmaster to the front of the table. All eyes, even Snape's, were on the duo. Dumbledore called to Fawkes, who arrived between the two shortly after.

"Hold you hand out towards Fawkes, Harry." Dumbledore instructed. Harry did, and Dumbledore said, "Probatur fiducia!"

A silver thread seemed to have connected Harry's hand to Fawkes. Harry just looked clueless at this, but some the older members like his parents and Moody seemed to understand it, as well as Remus. The words, he figured, were foreign, probably Latin, and the Order had no doubt used this spell at every Induction.

"Now, Harry, repeat after me," said Dumbledore. "I solemnly swear that, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, I will help only the side of the Light, aid the side of the Light whenever needed, and I will remain loyal to the Order until the day I die."

Harry repeated this, and a silver aura suddenly surrounded both him and Fawkes. This must have been what the Order was going for, because everyone was clapping and Dumbledore's eyes held a faint twinkle. Once the Aura faded, the room grew quiet again.

"Fawkes has deemed you worthy of membership. Bow down, Harry."

Harry did and Dumbledore placed a silver pendant of a Phoenix around his neck. He pointed his wand above Harry's head. Confused, Harry decided, was an understatement of how he felt right now.

"Fidelis defendo iungo!" Dumbledore said.

More lights flashed. The pendant glowed a flash of colors for moment, faded, then turned green. Harry really didn't understand any of this. He just hoped he wouldn't be bowing much longer. He didn't like people staring at him. When Dumbledore gave him the okay to stand up again, he shook his hand.

"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, Harry." his eyes were twinkling uncontrollably now. Apparently, he'd wanted Harry to join for a while now. Harry just nodded and returned the handshake.

"You must wear this pendant at all times. It will alert all Order members when any other members are in danger. It goes by colors. As you can see, by the fact that your's just turned green, green is your color. Your pendant will get warm and glow another color when someone is in danger. It will flash colors if more than one person is in danger. If one or both or your parents are in danger, it will turn orange. If any of the Weasley's are in danger, it'll turn red. Hagrid is yellow, brown is Mundungus, black is Professor Snape, violet is McGonagall, lavender is Hestia, light pink is Remus, hot pink is Tonks, light gray is Kingsley, dark gray is Moody, dark blue means Hogwarts in danger, and I hope you never see this, but light blue means I am in danger.

"In the case of any of these colors, an emergency Order meeting will be held. Hold onto your pendant and say, 'Obviam ire!' You'll be transported to Grimmauld Place as well as everyone else who does this. Don't let anyone, but an Order member know where you're going though.

"You can also use the pendant to communicate with other Order members. Just hold the pendant and say, 'Sermo' followed by the person's name. Their pendant will beep and flash your color. For instance, if Remus were to contact you, your pendant would beep and flash in light pink. You would then say, 'Accipio' and you and Remus could talk. Do you understand all of this, Harry?"

Harry nodded, "I think so."

"Your parents and Remus can help you with it later if you need more explanation." Dumbledore assured him. "For now, we should start the meeting. Take a seat, Harry."

Harry walked to the back of the table, earning congratulations from many of the members. Harry took the last open seat, beside Remus. Harry figured the seats were a lot based on rank. Dung, Fred and George were at the end as well. Remus smiled at him.

"We'll have to celebrate this later, Harry." he said proudly. From another seat down, his dad gave him the thumbs up. Lily still looked worried, but there was no going back now. He was a member.

* * *

**End Note**: I used Latin for the spells. I got it from a lame online translator, so don't expect it to be accurate.  
'Probatur fiducia' is something like 'examine trust'  
'Fidelis defendo iungo!' is something like 'Join the loyal in the protection'  
'Obviam ire!' is 'to go' or something  
'Accipio' is 'accept'  
So, that's probably not accurate, but I thought they sounded cool. Anyway, not my best chapter, sorry. I had a lot of trouble with this Induction thing, and I still think it came out lame. I hope you all like it anyway.  



	17. Worries and Plans

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter is still J.K. Rowling's and not mine.

Reviews:  
Thanks to: **Happyherminchen, corinnetkn24, SlytherinBeauty, **(I love Harry in the Order too. He belongs there. Sorry the updates are so slow!) **Jen, (**I know, I'm sorry, I like fluff. So, if you don't like it, I guess you shouldn't read anymore.) **HPprincess23, **(Maybe Harry will be in it in the books sometime too. Glad you like it) **Volleypickle16, **(Thanks! I had enjoyable holidays. Hope you did too.) **Harrycrazy432, **(Yeah, my first chapter is way too long. I hate that chapter. But I hope you like the story.) **Britni Puccio**, (Yeah, I guess he is a bit too angry at people. He's still mad over Sirius' death and wants to blame people for things.) **Amandinka**, (Aww, thank you!) and **lilacpotter **(Umm… not trying to sound mean, but I can't read your review. I like long chapters. I feel bad putting up a short chapter.)

**Sunnysparkles' Note: **sigh only 2,300 words, but I tried. I finally made it to page 100 on my word processor(12 point Times New Roman Font-single spaced), which is a big deal to me. I was just writing like mad to make it there. So, a faster update than usual. Hope you all like this chapter. Hogwarts will come soon I hope!

* * *

**Chapter 17: Worries and Plans**

The meeting started. Harry, of course, was only expected to listen. Other members such as Tonks and Snape had reports to give. Snape was telling about Voldemort's latest plans, and for Harry, this was the first time he had ever _listened_ to his professor talk. This was information he wanted to know.

"The Dark Lord has no plans of attacking just yet, but I think he's planning an attack on the Potter's later in the year. He's been really furious about their comeback. I believe he has that idiot Wormtail on the mission though, so I don't think it's anything to worry about just yet." Snape told everyone.

"We should maybe put more wards up on the house though." Dumbledore said. "You can't be so sure. Does he know where they live?"

"I'm not sure. He doesn't tell me much. I think he's beginning to question my loyalty to him. I just know that Wormtail is on it. Assuming that he's an old friend though… I think he'd remember the location of the house, but he is a bit daft. He's probably forgotten by now."

"I don't doubt that he has forgotten, he always was the stupid one." James mused. "But, nevertheless, I think we should put up the wards. For the summer at least. We can work something else out for while Harry's at school. And what about Remus? Peter may try to get information off of him as well."

"You know I wouldn't say anything, Prongs." Remus said quickly.

"I know, but you should be protected too. Peter's crazy."

"He's right, Remus." Lily sighed. "Maybe you should move in with us… So we only have to put wards up on one house."

"I'm fine, Lily. Peter doesn't even know where my cottage is I bet." Remus said, not wanting to take her charity.

"But… I know you can't afford-"

"Lily!" James cut in, raising his voice just enough to tell her to stop. "Later."

Remus gave James a look silently thanking him. He hated it when people took pity on his financial status. He knew that's what she was really doing. Though it would be nice to get to see Harry more often. Let alone, live in a beautiful house. Lily would need some company while James was away anyway.

"So… We'll discuss this at the next meeting then. Tonks? What's new with the Aurors?" Dumbledore said, ready for a topic change.

As Tonks droned on about new security policies for the Aurors, Harry couldn't help but feel a bit drowsy. Next thing he knew, Remus was tapping his shoulder with constant calls of, "Harry?" Harry looked up and rubbed his eyes. The room was empty except for him and Harry. Had he slept through the meeting?

"That boring, hmm?" Remus laughed. "I saw you drifting off during Tonks' speech."

"I didn't miss anything, did I?" Harry asked, angry with himself for making himself look stupid at his first meeting.

"Not really," Remus assured him. "unless you're interested in Fudge's new policies against Death-Eaters. Honestly, if he weren't so stupid, he'd be dead right now. The Death-Eaters won't obey any of those laws."

Harry grinned, "Where'd my parents go?"

"Their talking to Dumbledore back at your house. They left me here to wake you up." Remus poked him to emphasize the 'waking you up' part. "I guess my job is done. We'll just Portkey back I suppose."

He held out the Phoenix statue and laughed at Harry's frown. Harry placed his hand on the statue, ignoring Remus. He felt the familiar pull behind his navel once again, before finding himself flat on his back in the Potter kitchen. He couldn't help but laugh himself as he took Remus' offered hand and got up.

"You need to practice landing after Portkeys." Remus said seriously.

"I know," Harry said grimacing as he rubbed the spot on his back where he had hit hardest.

They both walked into the living room, where Dumbledore and Harry's parents were still talking. It sounded like they were talking about the wards. They stopped talking when Remus and Harry entered the room.

"Ah, I see you're awake now, Harry." Dumbledore had a faint twinkle in his eye, but Harry didn't see it. He was looking down at the ground.

"Sorry about that," Harry mumbled. "it won't happen again."

"Well, no worries, I'm sure we've all fallen asleep at a meeting before. Right, Remus?" Dumbledore said cheerfully, making Remus turn slightly red.

"It was near the full-moon!" he protested.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his former professor. Well, no one seemed to be mad, so no harm done. He'd just have to be more alert at the next meeting. He didn't want to miss any important information.

"Don't worry about it, Harry, those Inductions wear everyone out." James said reassuringly.

"So, what were you all talking about before we walked in?" Remus asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"Wards," James said simply.

"What kinds of wards to put up on the house." Dumbledore added.

"And how you should move it, Remus." Lily added in once again.

Remus pretended he didn't hear the red head. He didn't want to cause the family any trouble. They had enough to be dealing with without a werewolf moving in too.

"It really would be much easier." Lily added in when Remus ignored her. "You'd be a great help to me around the house too."

She was hoping for the desired effect. Remus was never one to turn down helping out. He liked doing things for people. Lily guessed it had something to do with making him feel more needed. Her comment worked perfectly on him, and she got just the response she had expected.

"I guess I could… But I don't want to oppose." Remus said hesitantly.

"You wouldn't be! We'd be glad you have you, Moony." James said. "No trouble at all, right Harry?"

Harry gave a slight nod, not really caring much either way. Remus' company would be nice he guessed. At the same time, it could get annoying. He knew that his parents would talk Remus into it eventually anyway though.

"Are you sure you have room for another person?" Remus asked, still really hesitant about the offer.

"You know we have plenty of empty space it the house, Remus." Lily said, getting a bit frustrated.

"Quit being stupid, Remus. You're very welcome in our house." James said firmly, leaving no room for argument from either Lily or Remus. "And we'll work something out for the Full Moons.

"Alright, alright." Remus gave in. "I'll pack my stuff tonight."

"Well, now that that's settled, let's discuss putting up these wards." Dumbledore said, making his presence noticed once again. Only Harry had remembered he was there the whole time. He only knew, because he could see him from where he was laying across a comfy recliner. He'd sat down after Remus had. Lily, James and Remus, however, were startled by the voice of the aged wizard, but soon got back into the conversation they were having before Harry and Remus had arrived.

After what seemed like hours to Harry, but was only an hour at most in reality, they had finished discussing the wards to put up. Harry stretched and yawned loudly, obviously bored by it all. When they finished, he didn't even hesitate in going to help Remus pack his things. He practically leaped off the couch, ready to do something more entertaining.

They flooed to the 'Lupin Cottage' as it was the fastest way to get there. It was small, Harry noticed. Only two rooms, not counting the kitchen and bathroom. He'd never been here before. He'd always assumed Remus just lived at Grimmauld Place with Sirius, because he was there so often. He never really wondered where his former Professor had lived before third year.

Looking around the room, Harry realized that Remus didn't have many belongings at all. He was also almost as clean as the Dursleys. The thought of the Dursley's made Harry shake a bit. He was glad to be out of there at last.

"Harry?" Remus said, waving a hand in front of the boys face.

"Huh?" Harry mumbled, not realizing he'd zoned out for a moment.

"I asked if you were feeling okay." Remus repeated for what must have been the seventh time, concern in his voice. He'd seen Harry give a shake when they arrived. "You don't look so good."

Harry shrugged Remus' concern off, "Fine, let's just go pack."

Harry began walking across the room to gather up Remus' thing, but Remus stuck out a hand to stop him.

"No need, Harry."

He took out his wand and flicked it a bit. All the objects from the room gathered together and Remus tapped his wand again, shrinking them. He placed the tiny objects into his pocket. Harry just watched.

"I'll just go get some things from the bedroom and we'll be off." Remus said.

"I thought you wanted my help…" Harry reminded him.

"Well, actually…" Remus sighed and sat down on the couch. "I wanted to talk to you alone."

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow and sat down, "What about?"

"Have you been okay lately?"

"I'm fine, why?" Harry said impatiently. He'd been dealing with questions like this a lot lately.

"I just noticed that you've been mumbling in your sleep a lot lately…" Remus said unsurely. I thought maybe something was bothering you."

"Was I-?"

"Yes," Remus said before Harry could ask. He knew Harry was asking about the meeting. "but you were really quiet. I only heard you, because my senses are so strong."

"Oh," was all Harry could said. What was Remus excepting? Hours worth of explanation?

"So?" Remus pressed. "You want to talk about it?"

"What did you hear?" Harry asked curiously, but having a feeling he already knew.

Remus looked at him seriously, "Something like 'No, no! Stop! Take me! Stop! No!' over and over again. Every night."

Harry looked down at the ground and put a hand to his head. Why did Remus have to hear that? It made him look so stupid. He knew exactly what he was dreaming when Remus had heard him too. He'd been having this dream a lot since Sirius died. A few changes made each time, but, nevertheless, the same general dream.

Harry felt a hand stroke through his hair for a moment. It then rested onto his shoulder. Remus' hand. Harry looked up again.

"Stop what, Harry?" Remus asked softly.

Harry shook his head. Remus didn't have to know. Harry didn't want to admit he'd been having dreams of all his friends and his parents dying. Dreams that always seemed so real. If Remus was moving in though, he knew the man would be hearing Harry mumble in his sleep a lot more. Harry wasn't sure he could hide it very long, and even worse, Remus would tell his dad there was a problem soon if he didn't just say it.

"Harry," Remus said again.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" Harry asked.

Remus hesitated for a moment. "Yes"

"I have dreams of my parents, you, the Weasleys, Hermione, Dumbledore… Everyone, all dying, because of me. All the time. Really realistic dreams. Voldemort and the Death Eaters murdering all of you just so they can get to me… Then you all would blame me for it."

Remus sighed and pulled Harry into a loose, one armed hug. The boy tensed a bit, but then relaxed into Remus' arm.

"That's just what they are though, Harry. Dreams. We're all still alive, and I know no one would ever blame you for their death. I know Sirius didn't; he said that he wouldn't blame you if he died that night right before we left to the Department of Mysteries."

"Did he say anything else?" Harry asked quietly.

"He told me he wouldn't want us brooding over the loss of him ever around Christmas time. He told me to tell you he loved you. He wanted you to know that he really did see you as more than James' son. I think he wanted you to realize that everyone fights to save you, because we want to and not, because we have to. We all care about you, Harry." Remus said, emotion showing in his voice.

Harry let out a dry sniff. He had no idea Sirius cared that much, or that Remus cared either for that matter. He abruptly got up and wiped his eyes, before he lost control though.

"They're probably waiting for us." Harry reminded Remus.

"Right,"

Remus got up and quickly gathered some things from his bedroom. He returned with a small suitcase of clothes and a box of other items Harry assumed were probably books. Shrinking the two, and putting them into his pocket with the other things, he grabbed some Floo Powder. Both Harry and Remus stepped into the fireplace, and Remus threw down the Floo powder, saying 'Potter House, Godric's Hollow!'

Harry, unsurprisingly, tripped once he landed, but caught himself before he fell. Remus chuckled lightly. That really was quite pathetic. The boy was so clumsy sometimes that he could give Tonks a run for her money.

After settling Remus into the guest bedroom, which was right down the hallway past Harry's room, they had what was suppose to be dinner with Dumbledore. James had bought many Butterbeers and sweets for the occasion much to Lily's disapproval. As James told her though, Harry only joins the Order once in his life, and they wouldn't be doing this again for a while. Harry let himself enjoy the evening with his many guardians, and by the time it was over, he was exhausted. The moment Dumbledore left, he passed out right on the couch, where no one disturbed him the rest of the night. A very enjoyable night filled with no dreams of death.

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**End Note:** So, I guess it'll be a while until my next chapter, I just don't know. I liked the idea of Remus moving in, so I decided that he would. I understand that I've done some fluff again, and I'm sorry to those of you who hate fluff, because I love it. 


	18. Back to Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter's not mine…

**Author's Note:** Oh, man! I know it's been like 4 months! I'm so sorry! I really am! I just didn't know where to go with the story, so I skipped into the school year… I'm not doing review responses anymore either, because I was just told they're not allowed on here. I may go put them on my LiveJournal again... Link in my profile. I'll do that later or tomorroe. Feel free to e-mail me any questions, or to push me to update faster. Thanks to all my reviewers! Onto the much awaited chapter!

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**Chapter 18: Back to Platform 9 ¾**

The last week and a half of summer went by surprisingly fast for Harry. When September 1st rolled around that Wednesday, he was sad to leave. Him and Remus had had a great time together, as well as with James and Lily. He couldn't believe how much he was really going to miss them. Just three weeks ago he couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts again. It was only six weeks ago that him and his parents had been reunited. Time seemed to have passed by so quickly.

There has been one Order meeting since the Induction, but nothing new had been going on with Voldemort. It seemed as if he was planning something big and secretive at the moment. Other than the attack on Harry's family at least. It was obvious Voldemort would never give up on getting his revenge on the Potters. He was probably just keeping under cover for a while though.

Fudge announced that the election of Minister of Magic was going to be held September 5th last Friday. It was obvious to Harry that that git was just afraid now that he'd seen Voldemort, and couldn't handle faking his position any longer. Dumbledore had, once again to the disappointment of many, refused to run, claiming he already had too much to deal with at the moment. Amelia Bones, Susan Bone's aunt, would be running though, along with a man Harry hadn't heard of by the name of Phillip Phears. Percy, being too young, couldn't run yet, which Ron said was for the best anyway.

"Harry, hurry up, you're going to miss the train!" Lily called from downstairs.

Harry set his copy of Advanced Potion Brewing into his trunk, leaving nothing else to pack, and closed it. He grabbed the handle and dragged it down the stairs, where Remus and Lily were waiting. James hadn't been able to make it, claiming to have something important to do for Dumbledore that morning. Him and Harry had said their goodbyes the previous night, because of that. Harry looked around after each step, taking in what he was leaving from his house. Wow, it felt odd saying _his_ house. For once, he'd actually be looking forward to coming home for the holidays.

"The car is here, Harry. Hurry!" Lily called again.

"Coming," Harry said, descending the last step.

Remus grabbed a hold of Harry's trunk, and drug it the rest of the way to the car. The Ministry had provided Lily the car use as a sort of welcome back type gift. She didn't really care for the Ministry, but it was an easier way to make it to King's Cross. The three crowded into the backseat of the car, comfortable because of the fact that the interior had been magically enlarged to be bigger on the inside. The journey didn't take long, in Harry's opinion, and they only made a bit of small talk along the way.

They arrived with only five minutes to spare. The trio dashed out of the car, and through Platform 9 ¾, luckily not seen by any Muggles. Harry couldn't believe he was finally going back to school. He wouldn't see his parents until Christmas break. The thought made him a bit sad. It'd be nice to talk to Ron and Hermione again though. He'd only seen them a few times this summer. The warning whistle blew; Harry gave him mum a hug goodbye, and began to board the train. He wasn't going home this time, he was leaving it.

"Be sure to write, Harry!" she yelled after him.

"I will." he promised, waving to his mum and friend from the door of the train.

Harry vanished, and just a few moments later, the Hogwarts Express began departing. Lily felt tears well up in her eyes. That was the first time she sent her son off to school. She never thought she'd get to do it. She wouldn't see him again until the holidays. Remus turned to Lily.

"Harry doesn't know, does he?" Remus said seriously.

"He wanted it to be a surprise-" Lily said.

"Well, I think he'll be surprised alright, but knowing Harry, he might also be mad." Remus said.

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Because he doesn't like being kept in the dark like that."

At this, Lily silently agreed, but it was too late to turn back now.

As Harry felt the train leaving the station, he couldn't help but feel a bit homesick. He knew it was childish, but he missed his family. He put that thought in the back of his mind and went to look for his two best friends. It took him a moment to realize they'd be in Prefect carriage though, so he'd have to wait to talk to them. Harry settled for sitting with Neville. He wasn't sure where Luna and Ginny had gone to.

"Mind if I sit here?" Harry asked.

"Not at all," Neville said, eager for some company.

Harry sat across from Neville, "Have a good summer?"

"Great," Neville said excitedly. "Me and Gran went to France for a few days. You?"

Harry was about to ask what Neville did there when he didn't know French, but decided against it. "Yeah, with my parents back and all… It was nice."

The two continued with some small talk for a while, until Ron and Hermione returned. Ron, as usual, was complaining about Malfoy.

"I can't believe he's still a Prefect… Dumbledore shouldn't get him there after his alliance with Umbridge and all the rules he's broken!" Ron ranted.

Hermione let out a long sigh. She must had heard Ronald complain like that a million times by now. Harry didn't know how the two of them had put up with it all this time, but they had. That was just how Ron was.

"Like any of the other Slytherin's would be better." Hermione muttered.

"Did I tell you Ginny was made a Prefect? Fred and George were a bit disappointed in her, but mum and dad were ecstatic."

"Knew Dumbledore was sure to pick her." Harry said. "Who else?"

"Well, that Colin Creevy was the other Gryffindor Prefect." at this, Harry cringed. "Luna and some other Ravenclaw I don't know are Prefects… I don't know any of the Slytherin or Hufflepuff Prefects. Cho is Headgirl though."

"That's a surprise," Harry mused.

"I know, I can't believe it." Ron muttered. "Don't understand why on Earth Dumbledore would pick her…"

"Yeah…" Harry said distractedly… '_Dumbledore… The Prophecy…_' "Ron, Hermione, I have to tell you something before Ginny and Luna get here. Let's go to the next compartment, I don't want anyone to overhear this." Harry paused and added in a louder voice. "We'll be right back, Neville. Save our seats, okay?"

"Sure," Neville said eagerly.

As they left, Hermione gave Harry a look, but did as she was told. She and Ron looked at Harry expectantly. What was so important that only they could know?

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked once they were in the empty compartment, the door shut. She sounded like a mother trying to comfort a child. Harry nearly laughed at the thought of that, but then remembered why he had to talk to them.

"I… I heard the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. I know what it says."

"What, when? What does it say? Oh god…" Hermione said, eyes wide.

Ron just stood there waiting for Harry to continue. He wasn't good with things like this. It was, and always would be, Hermione's role.

"After Sirius… After Dumbledore sent me back. He came back and told me the contents. It was told to him all those years ago…"

"Oh, Harry, what did it say?" Hermione asked.

"Killed or be killed," Harry whispered. "I've got to kill Voldemort," at this, Ron flinched, but Harry ignored it. "Or he kills me and the whole wizarding world is doomed… It all depends on _me_."

All three remained silent, unsure of what to say. Harry began idly moving his foot around.

"I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore. I just ask Dumbledore if-" Harry said when no one responded.

"Of course we still want to be your friend!" Hermione cut in.

"Yeah, mate, it's crazy to think we wouldn't." Ron added.

"But what if I get you killed?" Harry asked. "I'm a huge target for the Death Eaters now… Voldemort knows of part of the prophecy."

"Then we'll die." Hermione said strongly.

"It's war, Harry, these are the risks we have to take." said Ron. "If I have to risk my life for my friends and family, then I will."

Harry felt a huge weight being lifted from his chest. They were willing to stick by him. They wouldn't ditch him, because of the prophecy. He wasn't in this war alone, and now he knew it. He smiled, and Hermione embraced him in a hug. Harry awkwardly hugged her back, and they broke apart.

"So…" Ron said, unsure of whether or not they were done with their conversation.

"We better go back before Ginny and Luna arrive… They might find it suspicious if they walk in and we're not there." Harry replied, answering Ron's unasked question.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "So you're not going to tell them?"

"Not yet," Harry said, shaking his head. "I'm not ready to tell them yet. But I probably will eventually. It's just… Too soon."

She nodded in understanding and they re-entered the compartment. Luna and Ginny were already there. When Ginny questioned where they had been, Harry just shrugged and sat down. Surprisingly, the redhead dropped the subject. Ron and Hermione took their seats after a quick look at Harry. Ron, Harry noticed, was sitting unusually close to Luna, but ignored it. He had more important things to worry about. Something seemed suspicious to him. Why would Dumbledore have given him, of all people, a mission right before term started?

The rest of the ride continued uneventfully with just a bit of small talk. Luna reading her Quibbler, and Ron reading it over her shoulder. Hermione had her nose buried in her new school books, Ginny and Neville were chatting and Harry was just thinking. All six were surprised to find that Malfoy and his cronies did not make their usual visit to their compartment. Though Harry felt a bit suspicious about it, the other six figured the slug incident after 5th year had scared them off.

Neville, Ron and Harry moved to another compartment just a few minutes before they arrived in Hogsmede Station, so the girls could change into their robes. They changed in there and re-joined Hermione, Ginny and Luna just as they pulled into the Station. It definitely felt weird to be back at Hogwarts. The first thing Harry noticed was a familiar voice shouting, "Firs' Years thi' way! C'mon, don' be shy. All firs' years ova' 'ere."

Harry waved to Hagrid as they passed. He saw the thestrals, and immediately thought about Sirius's death. Sirius had fallen behind the veil, never to return again. Dead just like Cedric. Harry pushed these thought aside and got in the carriage with Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Ron and Neville.

The carriages took them up the roads and to the castle. They got out near the entrance and walked into the Great Hall. The First Years hadn't arrived yet. Ginny, Neville, Ron, Hermione and Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table and Luna headed down to sit with the Ravenclaws. Harry was beginning to enjoy being back, until Ron said something that changed it all…

"Harry, isn't that your dad up their at the staff table?" Ron asked.

Harry looked up and his jaw feel open. There was his dad sitting at the staff table talking casually to Professor Flitwick and Dumbledore.

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**End note**: Oh... I know exactly where I'm going with this! The next chapter I will have fun writing! You all with have to wait and see though.  



	19. Chances Lost

**Disclaimer:** I still do not own Harry Potter.**  
**

**Author's note: **I am _so sorry _the update took so long! I won't give you guys a lame excuse this time, because I really don't have a good one. Thank you to Siriuslover4eva for pushing me to update! Without her, you guys may not have seen this chapter for a long time. Sorry again everyone! I hope this is worth the wait! Thank you bunches to all my reviews!

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**Chapter 19: Chances Lost**

"You don't think-" Hermione said.

"He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; I know it." Harry cut in.

Before he could continue, McGonagall entered the castle with the three legged stool and a familiar torn hat. The first years were trailing behind her, talking in excited whispers. A few of them, probably muggleborns, looked extremely nervous.

Harry remembered how he had felt when he first came to Hogwarts. He thought it had been a mistake and he wasn't really a wizard. He now knew just how wrong he had been about that. He was now a member the Order of the Phoenix, and had a prophecy to fulfill. He had to defeat a Dark Lord. There was no mistaking the fact that he was indeed a wizard.

Professor McGonagall set the stool down and the Hall grew silent. The brim of the hat opened up, much to the surprise of some of the first years, and the hat began singing.

"A many, many years ago,  
Back when I was made,  
Lived four whom you may know,  
Each one just as great.

Slytherin was cunning and sly,  
Gryffindor brave and true,  
Ravenclaw was the most wise,  
And Hufflepuff was kind to the old and new.

Together, they made this school,  
For young wizards and witches alike,  
Muggles easily fooled,  
Never to see the power inside.

Train each student to duel,  
And battle in life ahead,  
Some fighting against things so cruel,  
And bringing Dark Wizards to an end.

They had one problem though,  
That's why I'm here.  
I'll tell you where you ought to go,  
Place me on your head and have no fear.

Times are rough right now,  
So join students of you kind,  
Together you'll learn how,  
Just let me look inside your mind.

I'll find the right place,  
I'm yet to be wrong,  
The decision may seem haste,  
But I'll find where you belong."

The students throughout the Hall clapped as the hat finished. A few first years were still in shock. Professor McGonagall unraveled a long piece of parchment and faced the first years.

"When I call your name, you will come forward, place the hat on your head, and be sorted into your houses. Anders, Kimberly."

A tall girl with curly black hair walked over to the stool and sat down, placing the hat over her head. She was shaking. The hat studied her for a moment, before opening it's brim and shouting, "Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaws all clapped and congratulated the next addition as she ran to join their table, nervousness fading.

Harry began to tune out the sorting. He just didn't care anymore. He was so furious with his dad for taking the job behind his back like that. Didn't he know of the dangers? Part of Harry felt his dad only took the job to spy on him. As Ball, Alisha became the first new Gryffindor, Harry was the only person at the table who didn't clap.

"I can't believe this, Ron." Harry muttered to his best friend as Brotemarkle, Carly was made a Ravenclaw and Coulter, Kayla became the first new Slytherin.

"Me neither," Ron said back. "but it's kind of cool still, isn't it?"

"No," Harry disagreed. "it means he's spying on me. And I don't need him to."

"Well, didn't he at least tell you-" Hermione started, but at the look on Harry face, she said, "oh."

"He didn't have to keep it a secret." Harry said furiously. "He promised me. I trusted him. He promised…"

"Don't know what to tell you, mate." Ron said, returning his attention to the sorting as Ford, Caitlin joined the Slytherin table.

The minutes of the sorting trailed on for Harry. He made one single glance at the staff table to find his father's eyes on him. He scowled and turned back towards his friends. That was just as Nolan, Michelle, a short girl with strawberry blonde hair, was made a Slytherin. The sorting was currently on Welchel, Emily, who was sorted into Ravenclaw.

The last student, Zarum, Jasmine, was sorted into Hufflepuff, and the Hall applauded for the new first years. Harry heard Ron mutter a "Finally" beside him as McGonagall took away the Sorting Hat, and almost laughed. Some things would never change. Dumbledore rose to make his usual start of term announcements, and the Hall grew silent.

"Welcome, welcome!" Dumbledore said. "To our new students, welcome to Hogwarts. To the old students, welcome back. I have a few start of term announcements before we enjoy the excellent feast our House Elves have so kindly prepared for us.

"First, I'd like to welcome both Professor Trelawny and Firenze back for the position of Divination." as this, a few students clapped, Parvati and Lavender being the loudest. "I'd also like to welcome Mr. Potter, who will be filling the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

At this, excited whispers broke out, and many students looked over at Harry. They all knew, of course, of James' return from the dead, seeing as it had been big news in the Prophet, but nevertheless, it was exciting. A few had heard a few slipped stories from the Weasley twins about Mr. Potter's greatness. Soon, the trio, as well as the majority of the Slytherins, were the only ones _not_ clapping for the new teacher. Harry was sure his father had his eyes on him now. '_Let him look then,' _Harry thought. He no longer cared what his father thought; he'd broken his promise. He'd betrayed his trust to Harry.

"Yes, yes, welcome Mr. Potter. I'm sure all of you are already aware of the events of this previous summer." Dumbledore said, continuing. "I would also like to add that all restrictions placed by Miss Umbridge last term have been lifted, and all school activities are to be resumed. Also, Quidditch tryouts will be held at the end of the month. Anyone interested in playing for their House should contact Madam Hooch for more details. Finally, let us all enjoy the feast."

The Hall broke out in applause, and the plates and goblets before them filled with food and drink instantly. A few first years gasped, having never seen such a thing before, especially the muggleborns. Ron, never one to wait on food, immediately dug in and filled his plate, receiving a disproving look from Hermione.

"That's disgusting, you know that?" she asked.

Harry laughed as Ron just shrugged. Those two would never change. The feast ended up being quiet enjoying, and Harry had almost forgotten his anger towards his father. This mood lasted until the middle of the feast, when Harry was confronted by Professor McGonagall.

"I'd like a word with you after the feast, Potter." at Harry's nod, she added, "Meet me up in my office."

Minutes later, after finishing a piece a treacle tart for dessert, and waiting as the tables of food cleared themselves off, Harry bid Ron and Hermione goodbye, as they had to lead the First Years back to Gryffindor Tower, and made his way to Professor McGonagall's office. He knocked briefly on the already opened door, before walking in.

"Take a seat, Potter."

Harry obliged, wondering what this was going to be about. He couldn't remember breaking any rules on the train.

"I assume you are aware of what this is about." McGonagall started, but at Harry's obvious confusion, she added, "What it means having your father teaching here. I won't tolerate any special treatment of him compared to your other professors. You'll be permitted to speak to him after classes, but during class, you are to respect him as you would any other professor."

"I will if he does, Professor." Harry said, a bit spitefully.

"Harry, I don't understand what this is about, but-"

"Ask him, professor. Ask him, he knows, he promised me…"

"I assume this is a bad time?" James asked from the doorway. Minerva had called him down as well.

"He doesn't deserve my respect, professor, and he won't be getting it." Harry turned to James. "I gave you a chance, dad, and you blew it."

"Potter, I don't understand what this is about, but you're really crossing the line today… I'd deduct points, but as it is, Gryffindor has none at the moment. I'd like you to meet me here for detention tomorrow night. Never in my life, Potter… Not even Sirius and James managed it… A detention on their first day back."

"Don't compare me to _him_!" Harry said, not caring how childish he was acting. Without another word, he pushed past his father and left the room.

"Harry!" James called, chasing after his only son.

"No, leave me alone."

"Harry James Potter!" James said sternly, grabbing his son's arm.

"Let me go," Harry said coldly. James had never seen his emerald eyes shine less before. Not even in the hospital wing last month.

"Please, Harry, just hear me out first." James pleaded.

"Why should I? You took the job to spy on me, I'm not fooled. You've been doing it all summer! I don't need you to watch me though. I don't need you." Harry realized how cold the words were, but he didn't care anymore. He was well aware that he struck his father hard this time.

James visibly weakened. He released Harry from his grip, unable to hold on any longer. He couldn't bear it any longer.

"I just wanted to make you happy, Harry." he whispered, and walked away, leaving Harry feeling slightly guilty.

Harry just stood there for a moment. In a few short moments he'd landed himself a detention with McGonagall, and treated his father with hatred he wasn't even aware he had. He supposed the right thing to do would be to apologize, but his mind was no longer functioning properly. He just wished his dad would have never taken the job. Not behind his back at least. The thought burned in his mind. James was here to spy on Harry.

"He doesn't trust me…" Harry muttered, walking back to the common room. He faintly heard a portrait mutter something about disrespect and dungeons, but he ignored it.

o0o0o

"What'd McGonagall want?" Ron asked as Harry entered the portrait hole.

"I have detention tomorrow." Harry sighed.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked. "On your first day back?"

Harry had to hold back a laugh; Hermione was always concerned about school. "Guess so,"

The duo let it slide. Harry obviously had something on his mind. They knew he'd tell them soon. Though they figured it had something to do with James taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. They wouldn't bother him about it; not yet at least.

"Game of Gobstones?" Harry asked, changing the topic.

* * *

**End Note:** I was originally planning to save this scene for later in the fanfic, but, I don't know, it seemed like it fit better here. The school song is probably no good, but I tried. Bad news, I lost my outlines. Still, there will be another chapter, I promise! I will never abandon my fanfic, so please bear with me on these updates. Thanks! 


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